


Ravenclaw Seeker

by kkukkungichokkomi



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Gryffindor Jooheon, Gryffindor Minhyuk, Hate to Love, Hufflepuff Shownu, M/M, Ravenclaw Changkyun, Romance, Slytherin Hyungwon, Slytherin Kihyun, changki rise, hufflepuff hoseok, idk what else to tag xD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-04
Updated: 2018-07-21
Packaged: 2019-01-09 01:10:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 123,970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12265863
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kkukkungichokkomi/pseuds/kkukkungichokkomi
Summary: Changkyun and Kihyun are wizards and they go to Hogwarts hihi :)They hate each other because of a curse Kihyun practiced on Changkyun in second year and they are always competing against each other. They both want to be the best and they both want to become Aurors.





	1. Returning to Hogwarts

**Author's Note:**

> This is a story I wanted to write a long time ago and I finally got inspiration :D  
> I hope you like it since Idk if it's good xD  
> Tell me your opinion hihi

When Kihyun received his letter from Hogwarts he was, like every other wizard, 11 years old. He was so excited that day he went to celebrate with his friends and, weeks later, they all went to buy their things to Diagon Alley. He remembered clearly that special day where he finally got his wand and he never let go of it after that. Their parents were Korean but they moved to London as soon as they could. They wanted their son to receive the best education and they considered Hogwarts was the best option. There were magic schools around South Korea though it wasn’t the same. Kihyun was a pure blood; every member of his huge family was a wizard and he ended up in Slytherin like every other of them. He loved his house and he made good friends at school. The problem was that students from other houses were often victims of his and Hyungwon’s - his best friend whom he had a love-hate relationship with - pranks and his teachers weren’t happy about it. He went through a lot of punishments every year and all thanks to the person he hated the most in the entire world: Im Changkyun.

If Kihyun had to pick someone to practice the unforgivable curses, he would pick Changkyun. The latter was, unfortunately, Kihyun’s first target. It was a sunny morning, perfect to practice the new curse he found in a book his 17 year old cousin gave him for his birthday. He was in second year already but he had a lot of knowledge already thanks to his family. He was walking around the castle and he suddenly found a Ravenclaw student sitting by one of the windows. The boy’s concentration called Kihyun’s attention and he quietly voiced his curse, pointing at him with his wand. The Slytherin student was proud of himself when Changkyun’s ears started growing and he couldn’t help to laugh, calling the other’s attention and earning his hate forever. Changkyun spent two days at the school’s Hospital Wing after a crowd of people made fun of him and Kihyun was satisfied at that moment.

He didn’t feel the same way a week later. Changkyun was so angry at him he wouldn’t stop following him to accuse him in front of the teachers. Kihyun knew he deserved it but just one time was enough. Changkyun though, kept on doing it, earning Kihyun’s hate too. They were both the best of their classes and they both loved Defense Against the Dark Arts and Potions. In the latter, Kihyun liked to go around the classroom pretending he was an innocent boy and throw things in his classmates’ cauldrons. It was a shame he never achieved it with Changkyun because he wished so badly to ruin his potions.

That year, the students had to pick the subjects they considered necessary for their future jobs and, sadly, Changkyun wanted to be an Auror too. Kihyun hoped he didn’t get ‘Outstanding’ in any of his O.W.L exams. Kihyun got ‘O’ from ‘Outstanding’ in every single one and he felt proud because he could be an Auror.

That morning, his parents went with him to King’s Cross and he hugged them before entering the platform. Every single year, his eyes lightened up at the sight of that black and red train, ready to leave. Kihyun love Hogwarts; he knew that castle like the back of his hand and he discovered new rooms every year. Kihyun walked straight, dragging his luggage and his black cat to the vehicle. Before he arrived to his usual compartment, he felt someone slapping his head. Kihyun turned around, holding his wand in his hand and pointing it to the person who disturbed him. It was Hyungwon, holding that stupid smile on his face. “Good morning, pink head” he said and Kihyun lowered his wand, rolling his eyes as he stepped into the compartment, finding his other friends already there.

“Kihyunnie! Look” his friend Lucy called his attention and showed him her scores. She had two ‘O’ in Charms and Transfiguration and the rest said ‘E’ from ‘Exceeds Expectations’. “I’m good, don’t you think?” she asked but Kihyun took out his results and showed them to Lucy and Hollie, the pure blood twin sisters.

“No way!” Hollie yelled. “That’s because you eat books for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day!” she added, sighing in annoyance. “I only got one ‘O’, that’s not fair” she huffed.

“That’s because I’m brilliant, unlike you two and Hyungwon” he stuck his tongue out but Hyungwon showed him his results and it was almost perfect. He had just one ‘E’ in History of Magic but he wanted to be a Healer, not an Auror. “I’m still better than you” Kihyun smiled arrogantly, entering the compartment to sit by Hollie’s side.

“You know, Kihyun” Hollie smirked evilly and Kihyun stared at her with a tone of condescension until she spoke again. “I heard Changkyun got ‘O’ in everything too” it was her turn to show her arrogant smile when Kihyun’s good mood fell to the floor, being trampled by everyone’s feet. “And I heard he’s been practicing a lot with his broom... I wouldn’t be surprised if Ravenclaw won the Quidditch Cup this year” she knew how to make him burn inside but he tried his best not to show it.

“He’s just the seeker! Ravenclaw won’t win! I’m the seeker and the captain of the team” Kihyun growled. “I’m still better than him because he has no character to be a captain. The professors would never pick him as the captain” he was satisfied with that. Even if it was just a small thing, it was a small thing he was better at. It was the only thing Changkyun would never achieve: being the captain of Ravenclaw’s Quidditch team.

“I don’t think he even wants to be the captain” Lucy hi-fived with her sister while Hyungwon watched students of other houses fall due to the spell he threw on the train’s floor, laughing like crazy.

“Whatever, he’s just a filthy mudblood” Kihyun turned to look at the window and realized the vehicle was already moving.

 

Hours later, after Hyungwon fell asleep and the sisters started watching hot Quidditch players in a magazine, Kihyun stood up. He announced he would go put his robe on but no one seemed to care as he left his compartment. The truth was he didn’t go put his black uniform on; he wanted to go spy on Changkyun because he was curious. Was he the captain of the Quidditch team that year? Maybe the teachers considered he was ready for the position. Kihyun walked with heavy feet, remembering their last match where Ravenclaw won. They were pretty even when it came to Quidditch... actually, they were pretty even in everything they did. That was the reason Kihyun wished to use the unforgivable curses against Changkyun. The pink haired wanted to be better but he never could. The Ravenclaw student was a hardworking person just like him and that was what bothered him the most.

The train was moving and Kihyun noticed the sky was already turning dark outside. Everyone was wearing the black robe and he had to look carefully to recognize Changkyun’s black strands of hair. __‘Black hair, how original’__  Kihyun thought, making sure to have a convincing excuse to open his enemy’s compartment. __‘Maybe I could use my magical ear’__  he remembered he bought that ear in third year at Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes in Diagon Alley. __‘Yeah, I’ll use my ear’__  he laughed evilly inside his head and he quickly hid when he found Changkyun, sitting inside his compartment with Belle Campbell. The latter was Changkyun’s best friend and they were always together reading books. __‘Goddamn it’__  he cursed mentally because that was what they were doing at that moment: reading books. If Kihyun used his magical ear, he wouldn’t hear a thing. Those two were as quiet as a rock.

The Slytherin student took a deep breath, thinking about something good to say, and opened the sliding glass door. The Ravenclaw students lifted their gazes for two seconds to then roll their eyes and keep on reading. “What do you want, Yoo?” Changkyun asked, not tearing his eyes away from that tales book.

“I’m just here to tell you I got a perfect score in everything. I’ll be an Auror, unlike you” Kihyun tried his best to make the other spill out information about himself. He didn’t know if he could believe Hollie Bloom when she was mad at him. The Bloom sisters used to say things only to make Kihyun get mad, just like Hyungwon.

Before saying anything in return, Changkyun chuckled, confirming Hollie’s rumor. If the Ravenclaw student was so confident, it was pretty obvious he got ‘Outstanding’ in everything just like him. And Belle probably did too; she studied a lot. “And what makes you think I didn’t get a perfect score?” the black haired closed his book and turned to look at the newcomer with a raised brow. “See for yourself” he gave Kihyun his results and, indeed, he had a perfect score. The Slytherin student was still trying to figure out how to ask about Quidditch without actually asking anything but his mind was blank. He decided to throw the paper at Changkyun’s face and he suddenly got an idea.

“Well, it a shame you will never be your team’s captain” Kihyun showed his badge to Changkyun though the 16 year old boy seemed unamused. “You know, this gives me equal status with prefects and I don’t see one in your robe... what a shame” he added and Changkyun sighed.

“I don’t want to be the captain, that’s not my thing” he motioned with his hand for the other to leave. “Leave. We’ll fight when we get to Hogwarts, I’m too lazy to fight right here and I really want to finish my book before arriving” he ordered as if he was some kind of authority. He couldn’t decide when to fight, Kihyun wouldn’t let him boss him around like that.

“How funny, you think you can order a pure blood around” the pink haired laughed. “You are a filthy mudblood, Im Changkyun, and I will not do what you told me to” he knew there was no point in initiating a fight in the middle of Hogwarts Express but every time he needed information from Changkyun, he initiated one. It was like a tradition and he couldn’t break it.

“I know you missed me, Yoo, but please wait a few more minutes” Changkyun grabbed his wand from his pocket. “Besides, I’m a half-blood. Don’t you call muggle-borns like that?” he asked and he could answer with a simple ‘yes, I call muggle-borns like that’ but it was Changkyun he was talking to.

“How could I miss YOU of all people?” Kihyun took his wand out of his pocket too. “And yes, I usually call muggle-borns like that but you are the exception” he smiled in victory.

“Okay, if you don’t leave now, I’ll throw a curse at you” Changkyun threatened him but he wasn’t scared. Belle was there, staring at them in silence but she was ready to defend her friend. “I’m serious” he stared at Kihyun but the latter couldn’t reply anymore because a guy from Gryffindor named Lee Jooheon entered the compartment together with his friend Robert to show Changkyun some things. The Ravenclaw student’s attention turned automatically to the newcomers, leaving Kihyun without any options outside the door.

“Fine, ignore me, I’ll see you at the castle, mudblood” Kihyun quickly returned with his friends, knowing they were about to arrive to Hogwarts, and found them in the same position they were before he left.

 

 

After 20 minutes, the train stopped. Just like every year, Hagrid was waiting for the first years to guide them to the boats and the carriages were ready for the other students. Just a few of them could see the Thestrals that pulled from them and Kihyun had always been curious of their appearance. It wasn’t that he wanted to see someone dying but he wished for someone to draw those things so he could see them somehow. Hyungwon was walking ahead from him with Lucy clinging to his arm while Hollie remained silent, walking closely behind Kihyun. The Gryffindor house followed the Slytherin house and Kihyun saw Jooheon in between Robert and Archie, his two friends. The pink haired stared at him though he didn’t find Changkyun around. It was weird to see him and Belle far away from Jooheon and Kihyun suspected Belle like one of the other three friends.

“What are you looking at, Kihyunnie?” Hollie interrupted his thoughts and he realized they were about to get inside a carriage. Hyungwon pushed Lucy to get rid of her but the latter pushed him back, making him fall on the muddy floor. Hyungwon stood up with difficulty when Lucy was already inside the carriage and cleaned himself up - taking out his wand to then whisper __Tergeo__  -, following her.

“Nothing” Kihyun replied and the carriage started moving once the four of them were comfortably sitting inside of it. The four friends talked about their vacations and decided they would organize something for the next ones. The castle was closer and closer each minute, showing its gorgeous lights. Kihyun always found the building amazing and he couldn’t believe they managed to fix it like that after the Second Wizarding War against Lord Voldemort.

Once the carriage stopped, they got out, following the other students to the door. The Great Hall greeted them and they all went to find their respective tables. The professors were already waiting for the students except for Callum Adwell, their Transfiguration teacher, who was responsible of guiding the first years to their Sorting Ceremony. The Headmistress Minerva McGonagall was sitting in the middle of the large table, showing her usual straight face. Only when everyone was settled, the Sorting Ceremony started and the first years entered the Great Hall. It wasn’t Kihyun’s favorite part; having to wait for food made his mood fall. “I hope the fried chicken plate appears in front of my face” Kihyun crossed his arms over his chest while Professor Callum Adwell pronounced the names of the different first year students. They seemed so nervous and anxious at the same time and Kihyun remembered how exciting the experience was.

“I want shrimp” Hyungwon said in a whisper, not wishing to interrupt the Sorting Ceremony. Professor Callum Adwell was scary and he never failed to notice when they were talking. The man went to Hogwarts when he was younger and he was a Gryffindor like McGonagall. He was incredibly tall, even taller than Hyungwon. He had light brown soft hair and blue eyes with an intense stare; the stare that had all students frightened.

“I want a hamburger” Lucy’s stomach growled after she spoke and her sister chuckled. “Shut up” she glared as a joke and Hollie laughed evilly - in a very low voice -. The friends remained silent after that, clapping every time a Slytherin first year came to the table to sit. Hyungwon got tired of clapping after the first two and he stopped doing it. Kihyun only did it because he felt he had to but it was annoying after five years.

Minutes later, they finally got to eat. The fried chicken appeared right in front of Kihyun and he was a happy man. Hyungwon wasn’t so lucky though; the shrimp didn’t even appear on the table. Lucy’s hamburgers weren’t there either but she made sure to create one with bread, meat and a lot of cheese. “Hey, now that I’m thinking about Professor Slughorn, he didn’t invite you to his compartment this year” Hollie was right, Professor Slughorn - the Potions Professor - had him as one of his favorite students and he sent those ridiculous invitations to him every single year since he started in first year. “Do you think he decided to get you out of his list?” she asked, kind of making fun of him. Kihyun knew it because she hi-fived with Lucy every time they said something bitchy.

Kihyun stayed silent for a few seconds, thinking of something to answer. He hoped Professor Slughorn liked him as much as he did before because he was still a brilliant student. “I forgot about that” he said, trying not to show his concern too much. But then he remembered Changkyun wasn’t with Slughorn either and he felt relieved because that meant Slughorn didn’t invite anyone to his compartment. “Changkyun wasn’t there either! I’m still Professor Slughorn’s favorite” he was so happy, even if Changkyun was involved in the reason of his happiness.

“How do you know Changkyun wasn’t there?” Lucy talked for the first time in a while and Kihyun saw her making another hamburger. She then stared at Hollie and they smirked at each other to then turn to Kihyun with knowing smiles on their faces. _ _‘This is not good’__  the pink haired thought, knowing them too well to miss the meaning of those expressions. “Are you psychic?” the two sisters said in unison, holding those playful smiles.

“Of course not” Kihyun avoided the first question as much as he could. His friends didn’t know about his little escape to Changkyun’s compartment and he just realized what a huge mistake he made. “I-I just saw him reading with Belle when I went to the bathroom!” his words came out hesitantly and the sisters weren’t buying his story. It wasn’t a lie though, he truly saw Changkyun reading with Belle. He went to look for him but maybe he could skip that part and pretend it never happened. “What? I saw him through the glass door” the sisters kept on staring at him. “I swear!” Kihyun yelled in desperation before Professor McGonagall announced dessert. All kinds of sweets appeared on the table and the pink haired wasted no time in grabbing some chocolate cake. Everything looked too tempting and he hoped he didn’t gain weight that year. He was trying his best to stay thin but he couldn’t help to eat when the Bloom sisters were staring at him like that. It was better to keep his mouth full in those circumstances.

“Stop avoiding us, where you looking for Changkyun?” Hollie was already eating a delicious cheese cake with strawberries on top.

“Fine” Kihyun spoke after swallowing all the chocolate he had in his mouth. “I went to look for him because I wanted to be sure you were telling the truth” he gave up. “And I also showed him my badge so he got jealous” the Bloom sisters smiled even wider when he said that and he wanted to know what they were thinking. They couldn’t be implying he liked Changkyun, that would be ridiculous. “And you were right, he doesn’t want to be the captain of the team” he sighed.

“Oh, what a shame” Lucy pouted and, the moment she opened her mouth to say something else, Professor McGonagall announced the end of the Start-of-Term Feast. Kihyun never felt so relieved; he didn’t want to hear what Lucy had to say. The four Slytherin students stood up, starting to walk to their Common Room. Kihyun tried to go behind the other three not to be interrogated again and he turned around when he heard his name being called by a familiar voice. It was Horace Slughorn that was chasing him to make an announcement. Kihyun was glad to see him until he heard him call Changkyun’s name too and realized he had been walking close to him. The Ravenclaw student smiled at their Professor and Kihyun imitated him. They pretended not to hate each other in front of Slughorn and the latter thought they were good friends.

“Hello my brilliant boys!” the old man yelled in a cheerful tone of voice. “These are for you” he handed them two invitations with a bright grin on his face. “I’ll be holding a welcoming party at my office on Friday night, I hope you can come” Slughorn waited for his students’ answer, not changing his expression.

“I’ll be delighted to go, Professor” to Kihyun’s annoyance, they answered at the same time and used the same words. They glared at each other after doing it and for a second they forgot they had to act nicely around Slughorn.

“That’s fantastic! I’ll be waiting for you” Professor Slughorn patted Kihyun’s shoulder. “I’m sorry about not calling you before, I had a tiny problem on the train that I rather not mention” the old man whispered and they didn’t say anything. It was one of those things they didn’t know how to answer to. “Good to see you again! Good night, boys” he ended their encounter there and Changkyun flashed him a fake smile before returning to his group of Ravenclaw students.


	2. Nonverbal spells

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second chapter! ^^  
> I hope you like this :):)  
> I'm trying my best to do this interesting and fun hihi <3

Kihyun woke up earlier than his classmates that Monday morning - as usual - and he quickly got dressed in his black and green robe before walking downstairs. He knew he had to wake Hyungwon up but he wanted to be alone for a while. It was still early and he could explore the castle for a few minutes before having breakfast with his friends in the Great Hall. The Slytherin Common Room was completely empty aside from Hollie, who was reading a book on her favorite armchair. Kihyun tried not to make noise but the woman saw him. Thankfully, she didn’t seem eager to have company. She waved her hand, whispered a soft ‘good morning’ and kept on reading, ignoring Kihyun. _‘Someone didn’t sleep much last night’_  he thought while he passed through the entrance door that was behind a wall in the dungeons of Hogwarts.

When he reached the Entrance Hall he realized it was a nice day with a bright sun entering through the enormous windows. There were just a few students hanging out at the Entrance Courtyard and he could hear voices coming from the Great Hall. He took a quick glance inside and he spotted Belle Campbell talking with Jooheon and Robert. The weird thing about that was the absence of a particular person, a particular person he felt like using a new curse on. Kihyun walked past the Great Hall and decided to keep walking. The Grand Staircase was right in front of him and he thought it would be a good idea to go upstairs. The pink haired didn’t have any objective, he just felt like taking a relaxing walk and maybe find someone to practice his new curse. If it wasn’t Changkyun, it could be any other student with bad luck. Kihyun laughed evilly inside his mind, rubbing his palms together in excitement.

The corridors were starting to fill with students slowly as he walked around the castle. Everyone looked happy to start another year of studies and he was feeling the same way. That was the reason he was so eager to practice curses around Hogwarts. Maybe he would get punished but he could be extremely careful not to get caught. Kihyun sometimes wished to have an invisibility cloak not to be detected; he was a troublemaker after all, it was in his blood. He asked himself several times if that singular quality was caused by the fact that he was a Slytherin student. Hyungwon was a troublemaker too and he was starting to think Slytherin was, indeed, the cause of their behavior.

Kihyun didn’t know how he reached the Library so fast but there he was, walking around the shelves full of books and doing nothing in particular. He couldn’t find the proper target for his new curse and he suddenly felt the need of finding Changkyun. Before he could leave the place to go to the Ravenclaw Tower, he saw a glimpse of that blueish black hair he hated so much. There Changkyun was, sitting on a table with another one of his Gryffindor friends named Minhyuk and two students from Hufflepuff, a girl named Bryony and a boy named Hoseok. Apparently, they were all drawing dragons while momentarily looking at a book that had incredible pictures of them. Hoseok was a brilliant artist, Kihyun saw his magical drawings a couple of times and he found them gorgeous.

Kihyun approached the table slowly, taking a quick glance above Changkyun’s shoulder. The latter was good but the pink haired would never admit something like that. He let out a low giggle and Changkyun abruptly turned around, hitting his stomach with his elbow in the process. “I’m so- Oh, it’s you” the Ravenclaw student raised a brow at him, crossing his arms on his chest. “I see you are looking for an early punishment” Changkyun said in his deep voice, taking his wand out of his pocket to then stand up. The other three weren’t confused at all, they were used to the two of them fighting out of nowhere and they ignored them most of the times. Kihyun grabbed his wand too and smirked. He would finally be able to practice his curse; he hoped Changkyun forgot how to defend himself because he was really good at duelling. They both knew how to defend themselves and the Shield Charm was one of their specialties. That was one of the main reasons they attacked each other while they were distracted.

“I have a present for you” Kihyun backed off a little and climbed on top of an empty table near his target. “I learned it a few weeks ago, I hope you like it” he added and laughed evilly. Kihyun was so excited he forgot about Madam Pince and he fell on the floor when the librarian pulled on his robe roughly.

“Not again, you two! I’m sick of your pointless fights! Leave my Library now, I won’t repeat it!” she yelled like crazy and the two of them had to get out of there. “You should think about finding Mr. Im in a different part of the castle from now on, Mr. Yoo!” she scolded them while they walked to the entrance and Changkyun waved his hand at his friends before turning to look at Kihyun.

“Thanks a lot, wanker” the Ravenclaw student insulted him. “If you don’t mind, I’ll go have breakfast with Belle. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t follow me” the black haired started heading downstairs and Kihyun followed him. It wasn’t only the fact that he was ready to throw that curse at him, he also needed to eat and maybe it was already late. “Great” Changkyun stopped on his tracks. “What part of not following me didn’t you understand?” he was angry for real and Kihyun was happy about that. It was hard to make Changkyun get angry but it was totally worth it.

“I’m not following you, filthy mudblood” Kihyun replied with his usual insult. “I need breakfast too, don’t you think, smart ass?” he moved his pink locks fabulously before starting to walk again, this time ahead of Changkyun.

 

Kihyun sat down by Lucy’s side on the Slytherin table and he suddenly remembered about Hyungwon. “Damn it” he whispered, not seeing him there with the two sisters. He stood up, ready to run back to the Common Room but he saw Hyungwon entering the Great Hall together with Fergus Baddeley, one of their Slytherin classmates. The latter was dragging a tired looking Hyungwon in between the large tables and he left him by Kihyun’s side.

“You owe me” Fergus said, making Kihyun laugh. “You can do my homework for a week and we’ll be even” his dark brown eyes stared at Kihyun as if he was threatening him or something though it was in vain because he would never achieve it.

“Hyungwon owes you, not me” the pink haired wouldn’t do any favors to anyone, he was sure of it. He wasn’t the responsible for Hyungwon’s sleeping habits. Fergus growled and turned around, going to sit with his own friends. Their classmates didn’t dare provoke Kihyun, they all knew how good he was at everything and how easily he won Duels - except with Changkyun, it was always a tie with him -. “Hey, sleeping frog” the pink haired slapped Hyungwon’s shoulder and he protested. “You owe Fergus” he added and Hyungwon grunted.

“I won’t do anything for him, I didn’t ask for his help” Hyungwon raised his shoulders and started eating whatever he found in front of his face. When the tall one was too sleepy to think properly, he ate anything without complaining. Kihyun didn’t like vegetables that much, just like Lucy but Hyungwon was the supreme complicated eater.

Their breakfast went by quickly and, after the food disappeared, they waited for Professor Kim Jongwoon - the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher and the new Head of Slytherin - to go to his office. The latter needed to see their scores to give them their schedule and Lucy was happy because she would have a lot of free time. Actually, every sixth year student would have a lot of free time but Kihyun knew that meant more homework. Hogwarts wasn’t easy and they would surely need those free hours to practice or do their essays. The N.E.W.T level was something most of the students were scared of because those exams were very important for their future jobs.

Once Professor Kim stood up, all the Slytherin sixth year students followed him to the second floor. The elder went into his office to then start calling each one of them to check on their results. The Bloom Sisters went in after some other students, returning with smiles on their faces. They both could study every subject they wished to and Hyungwon had the same luck. Kihyun wasn’t sure if his friend would be a good Healer but he seemed very eager to start his N.E.W.T level.

When his name was called by his Professor’s low voice, he hurried into the office. When he pushed the door, he was welcomed by several magical spiders portraits that moved around from one to the other, fighting against each other. Kihyun couldn’t take his eyes off a blue one because he found it fascinating and he wondered if that kind of spider would be inside the Dark Forest. “Kihyun” Jongwoon was calling his name and he did his best to stop looking at the fascinating creature on the portrait. “You can do whatever you want” Jongwoon’s neutral facial expression could have been confusing for anyone but the students knew he was like that. “To be an Auror you’ll need: Defense Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration, Potions, Charms and Herbology” he pointed with his wand at a blank piece of paper and his schedule appeared. “Is this okay? Are you interested in any other subject?” he asked while handing him the paper.

“I’m interested in Care of Magical Creatures too, I’d like to continue with the N.E.W.T level of that subject too” Kihyun always loved Magical Creatures and he thought Hagrid was the best for the job because he taught them about dangerous animals the Ministry of Magic didn’t approve. The pink haired didn’t believe they were dangerous at all; those creatures were just interesting in his opinion, very interesting.

“Perfect” Jongwoon said and pointed his wand at the schedule one more time, adding Care of Magical Creatures. “There you go” he flashed him a tiny smile - Kihyun thought he saw a smile somewhere - and let him leave. “Oh! I almost forgot” Professor Kim stopped him midway. “Like every year, you get to choose who stays in the Quidditch team” Jongwoon reminded him, even if Kihyun already knew that. He had been the captain of the team since he was in fourth year. “Oh and you can pick the day and the hour of the team’s training” he added and the student smiled toothlessly.

“Yes, Sir” Kihyun made a respectful bow. “I have everything planned already” he assured and turned to the door, finding his three friends there waiting for him. Lucy was teasing Hyungwon and the latter laughed without energy, weakly defending himself. Hollie was there staring at them with a playful grin and helped her sister from time to time, making Hyungwon get startled more often. They were both tickling him and, the moment they saw Kihyun, they stopped.

“Let’s go to the Courtyard! We have a free hour right now! Thankfully, none of us likes Ancient Runes” Lucy talked enthusiastically, dragging Hyungwon downstairs. Kihyun followed them together with Hollie and they sat at the Entrance Courtyard to play Wizard’s Chess.

 

 

Changkyun sighed for the thousand time after going out of Professor Flitwick’s office. Belle was staring at him with a frown, not understanding his whims. She had her schedule in her hands and she seemed happy about it but Changkyun didn’t know if he’d be able to pull off his. Professor Flitwick recommended leaving some subjects considering he decided to take everything he could in third year and he went on like that until fifth year, but he liked Ancient Runes, he liked Arithmancy and he liked Care of Magical Creatures too. He knew he also had to take Apparition classes that year and he was trying to figure out how he would do all of that. “What’s wrong with you now?” Belle asked, concerned. She was scared Changkyun would have a mental breakdown at any moment. His constant fights with Kihyun and all the things he had to do were driving him insane.

“I don’t know what to do...” Changkyun answered, blowing his hair away from his forehead in exasperation. “Should I leave Arithmancy? Or maybe I could leave Care of Magical Creatures... I don’t know” he needed Belle’s advice because he knew he’d do everything if he took the decision by himself.

“Wow! Are you insane?!” Belle snatched the piece of paper from her friend’s hands, dropping her jaw in disbelief. “Why are you taking so many subjects? You want to be an Auror, don’t you?” Changkyun nodded in response. “Why don’t you focus on the five subjects you need to be an Auror? Maybe this is too much for you” Belle tried to reason with the black haired, even if she knew it was a little difficult to convince him. “You know, Changkyunnie, the free hours we have aren’t real. We’ll surely have to do our homework and I think you should consider the difficulties of N.E.W.T level” Changkyun pretended to cry at that point. He didn’t want to leave anything but maybe his best friend was right. “You also have your Quidditch training” Belle handed his schedule back.

“I think I’ll try” the black haired decided after a few minutes of staring at his schedule. “If I’m dying by the end of the week, I’ll leave Arithmancy” he smiled. “Let’s go to Ancient Runes” he linked his arm with Belle’s and dragged her downstairs to the 6th floor.

 

 

After Ancient Runes, Changkyun and Belle headed to the 1st floor. They had only 10 minutes to reach the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom and they already had to write a 1 meter parchment for their previous class. The two friends walked in a fast speed, trying not to fall from those stairs. The 1st floor was close and they ran when they reached the corridor. Students were gathered outside the classroom, waiting for Professor Kim Jongwoon to arrive. Belle and Changkyun saw Jooheon in between his Gryffindor classmates and started heading there to talk to him. Belle was in love with Jooheon and Changkyun always tried to get them together but he didn’t want to interfere that much. The only thing he could do was leave them alone every time he saw the opportunity and, thanks to that, they were very close.

Before they could reach Jooheon’s side, something made Changkyun trip and he fell on the ground with all his heavy books landing in front of him. The black haired heard laughter from behind and he saw all Slytherin making fun of him. He then turned to look at the responsible and wasn’t surprised to find Kihyun, laughing even louder than the others on purpose. Changkyun picked his books up and Jooheon helped him get up. “Can you hold these for a few seconds?” the Ravenclaw student gave his stuff to his friend and walked closer to Kihyun, stopping when he was only inches away from him.

“Are you gonna cry?” the pink haired had that arrogant smile on his face and Changkyun couldn’t help to punch his stomach. He knew he could use his wand to attack him but that felt even better. Kihyun growled in pain, bending his body to circle his sore spot - it was a little exaggerated though he ignored it completely -. Changkyun wasn’t good at fighting, he had no strength in his arms so he got surprised he actually hurt the Slytherin student. Satisfied, he turned to his friends again. He believed Kihyun wouldn’t do anything else but he was proved wrong when he heard that loud laughter again. “You hit like a girl” the pink haired said and Changkyun rolled his eyes, deciding it would be better to ignore him. Hyungwon was already on the floor, unable to stop laughing. “Did you learn how to hit in Muggle Studies? Oh, wait, I remember now” Kihyun paused. “You don’t need that subject because you have a Muggle mother” the whole Slytherin - except the Bloom sisters that were looking at each other with weird smiles on their faces as if they were thinking the same thing about the situation - started making fun of him nonstop and he sighed in annoyance. “Filthy mudblood” the pink haired used his usual insult and Jooheon stuck his tongue out at him, dragging Changkyun to their group before he could murder Kihyun.

“How original” the black haired turned around once again, ignoring Jooheon’s attempts to end the fight. “Look how hurt I am” he pretended to cry. “Twat” he whispered and finally ignored the Slytherin student, staying with Jooheon, Robert and Belle.

“You seriously need to stop” Robert patted his shoulder and Jooheon handed his books back.

“Is not me! He’s always there following me to practice his new curses on me!” Changkyun tried not to lose his composure because he knew the others wanted him to be okay but he couldn’t just stay there and do nothing when Kihyun bothered him.

“Well, maybe if you didn’t take such a big revenge, he wouldn’t be doing all these stuff to you” Jooheon was on Robert’s side and he crossed his arms over his chest - with his books in between -, pouting like a kid. He was mad at his friends and he wouldn’t talk to them for a while. Every time that happened, the other two let him be and Belle pretended nothing happened. The girl never told him not to fight back but Changkyun knew she was just keeping her words to herself not to make him get angry.

When Professor Kim arrived, they were all quiet. The elder opened the door to let them in and walked to the front. The classroom was a little cold and it was also dark as always. The windows were closed, not letting the sunlight enter. That was how Kim Jongwoon liked teaching and Changkyun started suspecting he was a vampire. Belle had the same opinion but Jooheon kept on telling them how crazy that was. “Good morning” Professor Kim greeted them in his low voice, flashing them what looked like a smile. His raven hair almost covered his slanted eyes and, in Changkyun’s opinion, it made him look like a Japanese Manga character. His long, dark green robe covered his skinny body and made his enormous head look even bigger. “You must be wondering what we will learn today” he went on, not tearing his gaze away from the students. “And I must tell you it’s nothing easy” their professor walked slowly in between their desks. “We’ll learn nonverbal spells” Changkyun was so happy to hear that he forgot he was mad at Jooheon and Robert. He patted Jooheon’s hand in excitement, showing him a wide grin. Whispers could be heard all around the classroom but they all stopped when Jongwoon cleared his throat. “I can see you all know what they are” he chuckled - something he didn’t do often - and went back to the front of the classroom. “Okay, let’s move the tables aside” he said and all the teenagers complied.

They all used their wands to move the desks together with the chairs and they stood up in front of Mr. Kim with expectant eyes. Changkyun noticed Kihyun getting excited too and he thought about all the times he would use nonverbal spells against him. The only problem was Kihyun would know them too and it would be harder to win against him considering they both had a countless abilities. The Ravenclaw student hoped he would learn faster so the other couldn’t make fun of him. “Perfect” Professor Kim took his wand out. “Now get together in pairs and I will explain the activity” he waited and Changkyun turned to Belle but saw her staring at Jooheon.

“Belle” the black haired called his friend. “I can be with Robert if you want to” he winked and the girl blushed before nodding with a toothless grin. “Robert, can I be with you?” he asked and the other nodded.

“I see you are no longer mad at us” the Gryffindor student chuckled when Changkyun shook his head and he went closer to him right after. The black haired was happy to see Belle smiling widely. He liked helping her with Jooheon because he believed they were made for each other and he didn’t mind working with Robert, he was a better student than Jooheon. The latter was a coward and that was the main reason his spells usually failed. Changkyun didn’t know how on Earth he got ‘E’ in Defense Against the Dark Arts. Maybe Professor Jongwoon took pity on him.

“Ready?” the Slytherin Head asked and everyone answered with a simple ‘yes’. “Now one of you will attack the other without talking and the other will use the Defensive Charm without talking” Jongwoon walked around while explaining, touching some students’ shoulders to then return to the front. “The ones I touched will attack” he touched Robert so that meant Changkyun had to use the Defensive Charm. “Make sure not to use dangerous curses” he warned. “Oh and I must tell you some spells get weaker when you use them like this” Kim Jongwoon’s voice was lower and lower each second and everyone knew he did it so they wouldn’t talk while he explained. “You can start. Don’t get frustrated if you don’t achieve it today, it’s hard to do” and he ended his speech there, letting them work.

Their excitement went out of the window after 10 minutes of literally nothing. The students were all silent, concentrating in the nonverbal spells they needed to do and Changkyun could see Robert’s eyes narrowing. He tried not to laugh at that because he needed to concentrate but it was impossible to do it when he had the Gryffindor student in front of him, pointing at him with his wand while his face turned red slowly. It wasn’t the only funny event, most of the attackers had those expressions on their faces and Jooheon kept on trying to dodge Belle’s attempts of attacking instead of focusing in defending himself. Farther from them, Kihyun and Hyungwon were already giggling lowly and Changkyun saw Kihyun whispering the spell to do it. Professor Jongwoon turned to look at him when he managed to attack Hyungwon and Changkyun couldn’t stop his hand from lifting up high in the air. “He whispered it, Professor” the black haired quickly said and Kim Jongwoon scolded Kihyun.

“Thanks a lot, mudblood” the pink haired whispered. “Why don’t you focus on getting it right instead of watching me?” he asked but Changkyun ignored him.

“Cheater” Robert whispered while he dried his forehead’s sweat with the back of his hand. “Look at Hoseok” the boy pointed at the Hufflepuff student with his index finger and they both giggled silently. Hoseok was making funny poses with his wand while he pointed at Bryony and the latter was covering her mouth with her palm not to burst out in laughter.

After a while of nothing, Professor Jongwoon told them to change roles. Changkyun now had to attack Robert but he wasn’t confident. He thought nonverbal spells would be easier though he lost every hope seeing Kihyun couldn’t achieve it. If the Slytherin student couldn’t attack Hyungwon without cheating, that meant Changkyun wouldn’t attack Robert either. Jooheon was covering his eyes while pointing at Belle and she couldn’t keep her laughter anymore. “Quiet, please” Jongwoon scolded and she took a deep breath to concentrate. “It is very important you feel the intense wish of attacking your classmate, you have to truly desire it” their professor started walking in between the students once again.

Changkyun took Professor Kim’s advice and imagined Robert was his enemy. __‘Come on’__  he thought, concentrating as much as he could. He needed to do it before Kihyun; he would feel so good if that happened. __‘Expelliarmus!’__  he repeated in his mind but nothing happened. “I can’t, this is in vain” he sighed and Robert rolled his eyes.

“I know, right?” the Gryffindor student whispered as a reply. “I felt so stupid trying to disarm you with no words” they both chuckled and decided to stop for a few minutes. Their heads hurt and they could see everyone growing tired of not achieving anything.

“Okay, okay” Professor Jongwoon stopped them again. “Let’s change partners” he rubbed his palms together - that were totally covered by that dark green velvety cloth -. “Mrs. Bloom with Mrs. Campbell” he said and the sisters lifted their hands at the same time.

“Me or her?” they asked in unison and Jongwoon pointed at Lucy.

“The other Mrs. Bloom with Mr. Diffey” Hollie Bloom rolled her eyes when George Diffey - a blonde Ravenclaw student Changkyun didn’t like much - went closer to her to then raise his eyebrows twice. “Mr. Haine with Mr. Moore” their professor kept on calling their names and Changkyun started getting nervous because all his friends already had a couple and Kihyun- “Mr. Im with...” Jongwoon paused and the black haired thought he saw a tiny smirk before he spoke again. “With Mr. Yoo” the two of them glared at each other and they did their best not to start throwing curses.

While Professor Kim picked the last couples he could feel Kihyun’s arm moving behind his back so he quickly slapped it. “What are you doing?” Changkyun whispered not to be scolded.

“Nothing I want to tell you” the Slytherin student had his usual arrogant smile on his face and Changkyun breathed deeply not to punch him again. When Kim Jongwoon finally finished picking couples, he told them to try again with the nonverbal spells. He touched their shoulders so they knew who would attack first and Changkyun was glad he was chosen instead of Kihyun. If Kihyun managed to attack him and he didn’t defend himself, everyone would make fun of him.

Changkyun stared at Kihyun as if he had a burning gaze that could kill him. __‘Stupefy’__  he thought, concentrating on the other, even if he never looked at him that long before. __‘Stupefy!’__  he thought harder but Kihyun started getting impatient and he saw him making stupid faces to make him lose his concentration. The only provoked Changkyun and, the moment the pink haired giggled, he repeated the spell in his mind and it suddenly worked. Kihyun reacted fast as always and also managed to defend himself without speaking. Professor Jongwoon congratulated them and all the others clapped in an unenthusiastic way. “Is because they hate each other, that’s not fair” Fergus said and maybe he was right. Changkyun couldn’t concentrate with Robert because he was trying not to laugh but Kihyun made him wish to attack him.

“I don’t think so, Mr. Baddeley” Professor Kim’s low voice echoed around the silent room. “I think they were deeply concentrated” he went closer to the couple. “Change roles” he ordered and turned to the others. “And you keep on practicing” he ended his instructions there to then return to his usual spot. Kihyun took a few minutes to finally attack him and he managed to defend himself too. They didn’t have that much luck the rest of the class, they only did it thrice but it was very hard and tiring.

At the end of the class only Hyungwon, Belle and a guy named Trevor Keedy from Gryffindor did it once but the rest were frustrated. They all went out of the classroom with long faces and an off mood except for the five of them. Even if Changkyun had to work with Kihyun, he was happy. Nonverbal spells were very difficult and they’d have to use them a lot that year. It was something very important to be an Auror and he was proud of himself to achieve it on the first day.

“Changkyun” he heard a familiar voice calling his name and he found Kihyun behind him. “Don’t lower your guard from now on” he winked and laughed evilly before dragging Hyungwon through the long corridor. The Bloom sisters shared that strange look once again and Lucy greeted Belle before leaving with her sister.

“Well done” Belle patted Changkyun’s shoulder.

“Well done yourself” the black haired smiled at his friend. “Let’s go have lunch, I’m in a good mood now and I’ll ignore Kihyun completely” he said and Jooheon followed them together with Robert to the Great Hall.


	3. Slughorn's first reunion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Third chapter!!  
> I hope you like it so far ^^

After only three days, most of sixth year students were complaining about the great amount of work they had to do. Each class consisted in practicing nonstop to then take a ‘break’. Belle was right, those breaks were pure lies and Changkyun’s dark circles under his eyes were bigger each day. He considered leaving Arithmancy several times but he couldn’t do it, his own brain wouldn’t allow him. He had a serious problem with taking every class he could and not even Belle approved his behavior.

That first week was terrible. Not only they had to use nonverbal spells in Defense Against the Dark Arts, they also had to use them in other subjects like Charms and Transfiguration. Professor Flitwick and Professor Kim were patient when it came to practice those insanely difficult spells. On the other hand, Professor Adwell had a particular way of teaching. He wasn’t a bad replacement of Professor McGonagall, he had a lot of knowledge and he was an incredible wizard. The problem was his loud voice he loved using to yell at them the whole class and his lack of tact when he had to correct the students’ mistakes - they experienced it all those years and they knew that one wouldn’t be different -. Changkyun had an awful time that Friday morning trying to understand what Professor Callum said. Even Kihyun looked lost; he held a frown on his face the whole class.

“So this is basically a breve explanation of Human Transfiguration” Professor Callum Adwell ended his lesson with those words and Changkyun heard a loud beep. Two whole hours of hearing Mr. Adwell talk made him wish to run. “Any doubts?” with that question, all students stared blankly at him. They were surely lots of doubts judging by their confused expressions but no one dared to ask. “Very good” Professor Adwell went to his desk. “You have to bring 30 inches of parchment for next class and we’ll start practicing a simple spell to change hair color after you manage to do the Bird-Conjuring Charm, understood?” they all whined and Professor Callum hit his desk. “No complaints!” he added and sat down, waiting for everyone to leave the classroom.

“Someone murder me” Robert whispered to them. “Why did I have to get ‘Outstanding’ here? Why didn’t I follow Jooheon?” he asked mostly to himself and Changkyun raised his shoulders. “And why do we have to change our hair color? Kihyun did it without needing a spell” he talked louder when they reached the corridor and Changkyun suddenly felt his ankle being pulled harshly, leaving him hanging from the tall roof with his head pointing downwards. When Changkyun managed to process what was happening, he realized all his books were on the ground by Robert’s side. The latter’s jaw was dropping because he didn’t understand what happened and behind him was Kihyun, laughing out loud. __‘I’m gonna kill him’__  Changkyun thought, knowing he just used __Levicorpus__  to hang him from his ankle. That spell was easy to do without talking and the pink haired had been using it often that week. After learning nonverbal spells, he was excited to practice.

“Robert! Quickly, __Liberacorpus__ ” Changkyun yelled because he was high up in the air. His blood was rushing southwards and he felt his face getting redder each second. Robert took his time finding his wand inside his pants’ pocket and the black haired decided to do it himself; he was already feeling dizzy and he needed to end the spell before he threw up. He grabbed his wand, pointed at his feet and thought __‘Liberacorpus’__. He automatically fell down but he was prepared not to hurt himself against the hard ground. “ _ _Arresto momentum!__ ” he said before hitting the floor and Robert helped him get up.

“I’m sorry! I couldn’t take out my wand, it was stuck” the Gryffindor student apologized, feeling guilty. Changkyun realized Belle wasn’t there and he saw her inside the classroom talking to Professor Callum. She liked asking questions and she really wished to understand Human Transfiguration well because they would be the whole year learning about that. If she was there watching the situation, she would have done the spell fast.

“Ups” Kihyun raised his shoulders and Hyungwon laughed out loud. “What happened, Changkyun? Are you tired already? It’s been a week” he made fun of Changkyun like any other day. The Ravenclaw student always got mad at Kihyun but he had to admit he wasn’t a saint that week. Every time he found the pink haired distracted, he used __Levicorpus__ against him and laughed loudly at his face. They both learned the spell on vacation and that was the ‘gift’ Kihyun had for him days ago. He also had a curse that made Changkyun’s nose grow and Kihyun kept on repeating the curse didn’t work because his nose was still the same as before. “Maybe if you didn’t take all those classes to be better than me, you would be fabulous like me” he smiled proudly, hi fiving with Hyungwon in the process. “Wait, no, that’s not possible. I’m just too fabulous” he made a gesture with his hand to emphasize his fabulosity.

“I’m taking all those classes because I like them, not because of you” Changkyun said, not getting mad at the other’s stupid comments. “Not everything is about you, Kihyun” he pocketed his wand. “And I know you are mad because I gave you my present first” he stuck his tongue out at Kihyun and, before he could say anything else, Professor Adwell walked out of the classroom.

“If I see you two fighting in front of my classroom again, you’ll get punished” the man had that scary look on his face. “And trust me when I say my punishments aren’t soft, I don’t really care if you are my best students” their professor threatened and then kept on walking. The two students stared at each other with burning glares until Belle dragged Changkyun to their next class, leaving Kihyun and Hyungwon there.

 

 

“So, you have Slughorn’s dinner tonight?” Hollie asked while they were doing their Transfiguration’s homework in their Common Room. The place was nearly empty at that hour considering students from other years didn’t have ‘free periods’. Having the Common Room in the Dungeons had a lot of advantages: they didn’t have to go upstairs after a tiring day and they couldn’t hear any noises from the outside world. Kihyun liked darkness and the green lights contributed to give the room a scary touch.

The Bloom sisters were in front of him, sitting on one of the big leather couches and he was on the other one. Hyungwon was taking his usual nap and there were two other students on the bigger table. Fergus - he was one of the two - kept on throwing paper balls at them using a simple spell with his wand while Leo - the other one - wrote. Kihyun moved his wand to protect them from the papers and made them vanish. That single action forced Fergus to stop since his attempts of bothering them weren’t working at all. The pink haired’s parchment was on his legs while he tried not to mess up - his calligraphy wasn’t so good -and, the moment Hollie asked the question, he got distracted and stained the paper. He tried not to get grumpy about it and smiled at Hollie. “Yes, I’ll eat a lot tonight” Kihyun replied to the previous question.

“Don’t you always eat a lot?” the two sisters said in unison to then hi-five messily, almost missing their hands and slapping their faces in the process. Fergus laughed loudly and Kihyun smirked before lifting his wand up.

“ _ _Silencio!__ ” he yelled making the correct hand movement for the spell and leaving Fergus with his mouth shut. Leo giggled when Kihyun flashed them an arrogant smile. “That’s a spell you’ll never be able to do” his sassy comment made Fergus stand up. “ _ _Petrificus totalus__ ” he pointed his wand at the raged student and the sisters laughed. “Oh, what a pity” Kihyun pretended he was sad. “You won’t be able to finish your homework” he made sniffing sounds. “Oh, wait! You don’t have any homework because you didn’t get any ‘E’ in your O.W.Ls” the sisters’ laughter became louder when they heard that comment and they both hugged Kihyun, even if he didn’t like it that much.

“That’s the reason we love you” Lucy pinched his cheeks and the pink haired chuckled. “You know, Kihyunnie” she went on when they both returned to the leather couch in front of Kihyun. “We realized something about you this week” the two of them shared knowing glances before Lucy spoke again. “You are specially attached to Changkyun this year, don’t you think?” she whispered not to be heard by Leo or Fergus - who was still on the floor because his best friend Leo was having too much fun watching him there to actually help him get rid of the spell -.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” he asked and the three of them turned around when they heard steps coming from the boy’s dormitory. Hyungwon appeared, looking extremely tired, and lay down on the couch next to Lucy, resting his head on her lap. His eyes closed after that and he automatically fell asleep. Kihyun rolled his eyes but didn’t forget what the sisters told him seconds ago. He wasn’t attached to Changkyun, he hated Changkyun very much and it was fun bothering him. But he had to admit the other was really good in everything and he got mad when he managed to use __Levicorpus__ first. The pink haired couldn’t believe he was so stupid to get distracted that many times. He told Changkyun not to lower his guard but, the truth was, Kihyun needed to be careful. The Ravenclaw student was too silent and Kihyun was too loud; that wasn’t good. “Hey, answer me” he insisted, patting Hollie’s thigh in desperation.

“We’ve been watching you lately and we realized you are bothering him more than usual” Hollie winked. “In other words: you are kind of obsessed with him” she added and Kihyun laughed sarcastically.

“Yeah, right, obsessed with that filthy mudblood” he moved his pink hair fabulously aside and stood up to show his greatness to the Bloom sisters. “This pure blood perfection obsessed with that half blood plonker? Don’t make me laugh, girls” Kihyun sat back down on the couch and Hyungwon chuckled a little in his sleep.

“Well, you have to admit that ‘plonker’...” Lucy paused to make emphasis on that word with her quotes finger motion. “... is a brilliant student” she ended her sentence and Kihyun huffed in annoyance. “And then you have Robert Williams who is a pure blood and couldn’t get the Levitation Charm right in first year” Kihyun glared at them. “I’m just telling the truth” Lucy was trying not to laugh at the pink haired’s face, seeing how mad he was. “You are attacking him more often this year, we noticed that” she ended her explanation and Hollie nodded.

“He’s only brilliant because he studies a lot. I’m brilliant because of my incredible talent” Kihyun crossed his arms over his chest, not wishing to accept he found it even funnier to tease Changkyun that year and he didn’t know the reason. Maybe the fact that they were getting good at nonverbal spells just by attacking each other or maybe he was just fun to tease. Kihyun could only do his nonverbal spells right when it was against Changkyun and he felt frustrated but it was good to practice with him when he was distracted. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’ll go on with my homework” he didn’t look at his friends so he failed to notice how they shared knowing looks. “You know, Leo, you can use the counter-curse whenever you want” Kihyun reminded Leo about it just in case he forgot Fergus was immobilized on the Common Room’s carpeted floor.

“Yeah, I know” Leo answered but didn’t do anything about it.

 

 

Changkyun felt something on his shoulder, something he couldn’t fully recognize that patted him softly. Did he have to get up already? He didn’t feel like moving from his spot yet, he seriously needed to sleep. __‘I’m tired’__  he tried to say it out loud but his body wasn’t moving. After a few seconds he realized the thing touching him was a hand and he opened his eyes abruptly, sitting up. He wasn’t on his bed, the surface he was resting on was rigid and he saw his Transfiguration’s book on the table. The black haired then looked at the person next to him and found Belle, dressed in a pretty outfit. Changkyun took a few seconds to comprehend she was talking to him and his eyes finally focused, revealing the Common Room full of Ravenclaw students. “Changkyun?” Belle waved her hand in front of the boy’s face and she chuckled, finding his lack of reaction funny. “We have to go, change quickly” she helped him up and closed the book to hand it to its owner. “Professor Slughorn is waiting for us” she reminded him and he realized he was still wearing his uniform.

Changkyun changed as fast as he could and he organized his stuff properly. He needed to leave everything ready so he could go to bed after returning from Slughorn’s dinner. He combed his black hair with his hands and went out of the boy’s dormitory, finding Belle waiting next to the Common Room’s fireplace. She was resting her back on one of the huge wooden bookcases and she smiled when she saw Changkyun. “I’m sorry I fell asleep” the black haired apologized but Belle shook his head to let him know everything was fine. They walked out of the Common Room and the entrance door with a bronze knocker in the shape of an eagle locked behind them.

The castle was full of students walking around and heading to the Great Hall to have dinner though Belle and Changkyun went upstairs to Slughorn’s office on the sixth floor. Usually Potions Professors owned an office in the dungeons but Horace Slughorn demanded Dumbledore he wanted a higher salary and that luxurious office on the sixth floor. Minerva McGonagall never took the place away from Slughorn so he got to keep the office of his dreams. Changkyun was glad about that; he didn’t like the dungeons so much. The Slytherin Common Room was down there and it reminded him of Kihyun.

Once they reached their destiny, Belle knocked on the door and they both waited for Professor Slughorn to open up. Changkyun yawned and rubbed his eyes with the back of his hands, not able to make his sleepy state fade. Slughorn didn’t take long to appear, dressed in a fancy robe with a shirt and a vest under it. He also had his dressing pants; all of it in warm colors like yellow and brown. “Ah, my brilliant Ravenclaws!” the old man yelled enthusiastically. “I was starting to believe you wouldn’t come” he added and moved aside to let them in. The enormous office was already full of students from different houses including three Gryffindors - Trevor Keedy was one of them -, one Hufflepuff called Son Hyunwoo - who had a famous grandfather -, and four Slytherins - Kihyun, Hyungwon, Leo and a girl named Olivia -. “Sit with us, I’ll bring the food!” Slughorn was excited as always and they were already imagining which questions he would ask that night. “Mead or pumpkin juice?” Professor Horace asked with a happy grin on his face and they both chose the latter since they didn’t like alcohol that much. “You always reject my oak-matured mead but I understand, you are healthy students” Slughorn said and Changkyun tried not to laugh.

“We are sorry, Professor” the black haired watched the old man pour some of the pumpkin juice in their elegant glasses. “We have a lot to study tomorrow, right Belle?” Belle nodded at that and quietly drank some of the beverage. Changkyun always felt extremely awkward in those meetings. All eyes were on them at that moment and he hoped Professor Slughorn would speak quickly to take the attention away from them. Hyungwon was the only one that seemed to be distracted staring at the ceiling.

“Of course you have to study! I always forget you are slowly growing up” Horace Slughorn went to look for the food and placed a plate in front of each student. “Please eat” he motioned with his hands for them to start and dug in, savoring his meal. “What a nice evening, don’t you think?” Professor Slughorn was in a very good mood, just like in every meeting they had. He loved organizing tiny events for his favorite students and he showed it. “I was looking at you on Monday and I felt so proud” he went on. “I remembered your first year here in Hogwarts and how little you all were” Slughorn paused to eat another piece of meat. “I already knew you would grow up to be excellent wizards” he smiled widely. “Now, tell me, what did you do on your holidays? Did you have fun in your respective homes?” he asked and they all started telling stories about some funny events.

Trevor went to the mountains with his parents, Hyunwoo spent time with his grandfather in South Korea because his parents were busy working in the Ministry of Magic, Hyungwon went back to his mansion and spent his vacations sleeping, Belle traveled around Europe with her parents and the others did similar things. Changkyun spent his time listening to the different stories until Kihyun suddenly spoke. The black haired forgot he was in the same room as him and he seriously didn’t want to hear what he had to say.

“I went to my cousins’ mansion and we played Quidditch together” Kihyun’s voice sounded softer than usual and Changkyun knew he used that tone to speak to Slughorn. The two of them pretended they didn’t hate each other and it wasn’t easy to achieve when they were 24/7 fighting. Changkyun noticed they did it more often lately and he wasn’t sure what their reasons were. __‘Maybe our O.W.L exams made us even more competitive’__  he thought before being interrupted by Kihyun’s fake tone of voice. “They are still kids but they are really good at flying, Professor. I wish you could see them, their skills are exquisite” he sounded proud of them, authentically proud.

“That sounds incredible, Kihyun! Are they learning from you?” Slughorn was interested in Kihyun’s words and Changkyun wasn’t surprised at all. The pink haired nodded with an arrogant smile resting on his features and Professor Horace clapped. “You are a wonderful Seeker, they are learning from the best” the old man drank more from his oak-matured mead and Changkyun noticed his cheeks were slowly tinting in a shade of red. “Speaking of brilliant Seekers” he turned to look at the Ravenclaw student, who was trying to stay quiet and go unnoticed. “Changkyun, what did you do?” all eyes were on him again and he felt extremely uncomfortable.

“He surely played that silly sport called football with his Muggle friends” Kihyun couldn’t stay quiet when the opportunity of humiliating the black haired presented itself so openly. Changkyun, however, didn’t feel embarrassed at all. He actually played football with his friends at the neighborhood’s field and also skated a lot. He loved skating, it was his favorite thing after flying on his broom. “And went to the Grocery Shop with his Muggle mother” Kihyun added and the Slytherin students laughed.

“Yeah, you are right, I played football with my friends and I also skated a lot” Changkyun didn’t give a damn about Kihyun’s words, he was too tired to get mad at him. “But my mom was busy, I only saw her for dinner and on weekends. She’s a lawyer” he explained and he didn’t remember the last time he talked that much in one of those meetings. He didn’t like sharing his personal life. Only Belle, Jooheon and Robert knew all those things.

“What’s ‘skating’?” Professor Slughorn asked in curiosity. “I must apologize for my ignorance” the old man stared expectantly at him.

“It’s basically gliding around the floor with a thing Muggles call skate” Changkyun tried to make his professor understand. “A skate is a piece of wood with four tiny wheels that you use under your feet to easily glide around” he went on, noticing the way almost everyone frowned in confusion. “Never mind” he sighed after seeing no reaction from anyone.

“I’ll have to see you skating to understand what you are talking about” Professor Horace spoke, trying to change his confused expression. “And could you tell us what exactly does a lawyer do?” Changkyun found the scene quiet funny. Everyone staring at him, clearly interested in what he had to say when it was just a simple profession. Kihyun had his arms crossed over his chest and the black haired knew he was mad because all the attention was on his Ravenclaw enemy.

“A lawyer defends people. My mom goes to trials and helps her clients that are in trouble” Changkyun explained and they all gasped in understandment.

“You mean like a person who speaks for them in trials?” Slughorn asked and Changkyun answered with a nod. “How weird is that” the others were still staring at him. “I would like to meet all of your parents some day. We could get together for dinner” he smiled and, once the students agreed with him, he stood up and made the food suddenly vanish. They all finished eating already and Slughorn had dessert for them. “Who wants dessert?” he enthusiastically asked and everyone lifted their hands.

After another long talk, Professor Slughorn let them leave and they all walked through the sixth floor corridor until they reached the stairs. The Ravenclaw Tower was on the fifth floor and thankfully they didn’t have to walk too much. Changkyun silently laughed when he saw Kihyun going down with his Slytherin classmates. “Have fun in your never ending path to the dungeons, Yoo” he whispered and Belle heard him. The latter laughed and stood up in front of the wooden door of their Common Room.

“You should speak louder, Changkyunnie” Belle said before the door asked them the riddle. Changkyun quickly solved it and they entered the room.

“Yeah, you are right... I’m just too tired to fight with Kihyun” he yawned. “Good night” he waved his hand at Belle and headed upstairs to the boys dormitory.


	4. Quidditch training

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fourth chapter!  
> I hope you are enjoying this :)

Their second and third week at Hogwarts weren’t easy either. All the sixth year students were growing tired of the big amount of work they had and it was just the beginning. In their Defense Against the Dark Arts lessons, Professor Kim made them practice nonverbal spells a lot. Almost everyone managed to do it thanks to his insistence, even if the spells they were using were pretty simple. He made them work in pairs each class and he was obsessed with the idea of getting Kihyun and Changkyun together. He wasn’t the only one though; Professor Sprout also picked the both of them to work together and Hagrid gave them a dangerous creature to take care together. Not Changkyun nor Kihyun understood the reason of their sudden change until Kihyun decided to ask Professor Kim about it. “You are my best students and I want you to work together” was his answer and the other two gave them the same reply. The Slytherin student wondered if it would be different if he hadn’t practiced his curse on Changkyun in his second year. Maybe they would be friends at that moment and they would have made a wonderful team. _‘Shut it’_  Kihyun thought while he tried his best not to fall asleep on his Herbology homework. _‘A half-blood with a pure-blood, ha, funny’_  his mind kept on wandering around the impossible idea of being Changkyun’s friend.

The four Slytherin students were spending their free hour before Defense Against the Dark Arts in the Library, trying to finish their Herbology parchment about Snargaluffs. Hyungwon’s jaw was dropping while he read his __Flesh-Eating Trees of the World__ copy and the two sisters were helping each other find more information about Snargaluffs. Kihyun stared at them, contemplating the idea of throwing a paper ball into Hyungwon’s opened mouth. He quietly took a Bubblegum from his pocket, ate it as if he wasn’t planning anything, made a tiny ball with the envelope and threw it to Hyungwon. The paper ball went right into the tall one’s mouth and he started coughing, spitting the object in his hand. Kihyun laughed - without any noise -, feeling proud of his abilities, and Hyungwon threw it back to him. The pink haired reacted fast and used his wand to make it fly away. It landed on Minhyuk’s parchment and Kihyun regretted it when the Gryffindor student got up.

“Stop your nonsense or I’ll tell Madam Pince!” Minhyuk kind of yelled and whispered at the same time. “Aren’t you trying to finish your Herbology homework?” the two boys nodded. “Well, I’m trying to concentrate on finishing my History parchment so please stop playing like two prats!” Minhyuk got back to his seat next to his best friend Felicity Marlowe, sharing a look of annoyance with her.

“He’s studying History” Kihyun murmured, not fully believing anyone wished to go on with History of Magic. Professor Binns - the only ghost teacher in the entire school - was boring and made everyone fall asleep in his class. It was a shame because History could be a very interesting subject if it was taught correctly. “I mean, what the actual fuck?” the pink haired made the other three chuckle.

“He’s gone mental” Hyungwon laughed lowly not to be heard by Madam Pince. They both went on with their Herbology homework after that and Kihyun tried not to look at Hyungwon. His face inspired the pink haired to do more of his stupid jokes and he didn’t want to see Minhyuk’s angry expression again. He wrote as fast as his hand let him and took almost half an hour to finish. He then placed his parchment inside his copy of __Flesh-Eating Trees of the World__  and stood up, ready to go to the 1st floor. “Do we have to go already?” Hyungwon was surprised and Kihyun nodded. The Bloom sisters finished their homework too but Hyungwon had to close his book, even if he was only halfway.

The corridors were overflowing with students that morning, just like any other Monday. The weather was getting colder each week and the Quidditch training was harder with that cold breeze hitting their eyes. The weather wouldn’t stop them though, Kihyun was proud of his team and he was sure they would win the Quidditch Cup. He had Hyungwon as one of his Beaters, Leo as the other one, he had three female Chasers including Hollie, Olivia - from fifth year - and a younger one from third year called Lottie, and he had a big guy named Ethan as his Keeper. Kihyun chose them wisely when he started as a Captain of the team in his fourth year and they won one time. They had a very successful training those two weeks and he hoped it would go on like that.

His positive thoughts about his Quidditch team vanished the second they reached the 1st floor, finding their other classmates there. Kihyun automatically spotted Changkyun and thought about using __Levicorpus__  but the black haired turned around to then raise his wand as a threat. His look clearly said ‘don’t even think about it’ so he restrained himself and waited in silence until, 5 minutes later, Professor Kim arrived. The latter was wearing his usual dark green robe that covered his feet and his hair was messy. He opened the classroom’s door and let the students get in. To their surprise, he didn’t order them to move the tables aside, he stood up at the front with a neutral expression on his face. He stayed quiet, letting the youngers get comfortable on their desks before asking them to open their books. “We’ll leave Nonverbal Spells for later and we’ll focus on the Unforgivable Curses” Professor Jongwoon said in his low voice. “As you all might know, we have three Unforgivable Curses: the Imperius Curse, the Cruciatus Curse and the Killing Curse” he showed them terrible images of the curses being used against wizards years earlier. “The Imperius Curse is one of the most powerful and sinister spells known to wizardkind” Kim Jongwoon started explaining while the pictures changed. “When cast successfully, the curse places the victim completely under the caster's control, though a person with exceptional strength of will is capable of resisting it. The fact that the curse can be defended against makes it unique among the Unforgivable Curses. It is also unique in that it is the least harmful of the curses except if performed improperly” Professor Kim stopped changing those pictures when they started showing the Cruciatus Curse. Kihyun was listening carefully because he was very interested in those curses. It wasn’t that he wished to use them but those explanations were amazing to him. “I know a few people that ended up in St. Mungo’s Hospital because of that and they believed they were animals or different kind of objects... you need to be careful” Professor Kim finally changed to the next curse and started explaining it too.

Kihyun stared at Changkyun, who was a few meters away from him, and found him taking notes on his book’s margins. __‘How dare you?’__  he thought, scrunching his nose in disgust as he watched those pages becoming black with ink. He then shifted his gaze to the boy’s face and rolled his eyes when he caught him biting the interior of his cheeks. The black haired did that whenever he was nervous or concentrated and Kihyun hated it. Why couldn’t he pay attention without doing it? __‘Maybe because he’s dead from the neck up’__  he chuckled silently but shook his head when he realized he hadn’t been paying attention and all because of Changkyun, the person he hated the most.

“So basically you cannot stop a Killing Curse unless you dodge it, block it with an object or something that can cover you from the green light, or unless someone decides to die instead of you” Professor Kim turned the pictures projector off to then stare at his students in silence. “Any questions?” he asked and almost everyone lifted their hands. The questions the students made were all about the previous wars but Kihyun had only one doubt: would they practice those curses in class? Wasn’t it extremely dangerous? The pink haired always said he would like to practice them on Changkyun but he was just angry at him and talking nonsense. He was never serious about it. “Okay, enough questions” Professor Kim interrupted the excited students. “Don’t worry, I will just show you the Imperius Curse today because the point of this class is that you learn to defend yourselves from it. It’s a little difficult but you only have to concentrate and think you don’t want to obey orders from anyone. You have to show your free will against the curse” Kim Jongwoon’s voice was neutral and low as always but Kihyun heard him louder than ever. Did he just say they would defend themselves? What if someone performed it improperly? “Okay, everyone form a line in front of me” he smiled and it looked extremely creepy. “I’ll throw you the Imperius Curse and you’ll try to stop me” he added but no one moved. “No need to worry, I know how to perform it perfectly” Professor Kim assured and Kihyun stood up at the same time Changkyun did. They stared at each other for a few seconds before the pink haired ran to the front of the class to go first.

“Cowards” he muttered under his breath and saw Changkyun rolling his eyes in annoyance. “Piss off, mudblood, I don’t want you to be close to me” the Slytherin student made the black haired growl and he quietly moved to leave Belle behind Kihyun. To their surprise, all the others formed the line after they stood up.

“Okay, let’s begin” Professor Kim said. “Be ready, Mr. Yoo, you have to concentrate” his low voice echoed around the silent classroom and Kihyun closed his eyes before his professor pronounced one word he still feared - even if he showed all that arrogance on the outside -. “ _ _Imperio!__ ” and everything darkened. He felt as if he was floating; it actually felt really good. All his responsibilities and fears were suddenly gone, everything seemed fine. A soft voice inside his head kept on telling him to dance on top of the desks and his body started walking in the desks’ direction. He climbed on one of the wooden benches and went up to the table. He started dancing as the voice kept on telling him inside his mind but he was suddenly interrupted and the classroom was back in front of his eyes. All the others were laughing and he saw Changkyun regretting his decision of getting into the line so quickly. His nervous stare was pretty obvious and he wasn’t laughing like everyone. “It didn’t work, let’s try one more time” his voice was drowned by the teenagers’ laughter. “Silence all of you” he shut them up without yelling and everyone complied.

“If you laugh again, I’ll throw curses to all of you” Kihyun turned around to whisper but Professor Kim heard him.

“Shush, Mr. Yoo” the pink haired caught a glimpse of a smirk from his professor and he realized the elder was doing it on purpose. He was making him do embarrassing things in front of everyone to have some fun himself. __‘Wanker’__  Kihyun thought though he couldn’t do anything, he had a reputation to keep and he didn’t want trouble. “Okay, here I go” Kim Jongwoon pointed his wand at Kihyun. “Remember, you have your free will, use it against the curse” he reminded him but it was hard to achieve when you felt so good under the effects of the Imperius Curse. “Ready?” the Slytherin student nodded. “ _ _Imperio!__ ” once again, everything darkened and he felt like floating around. All his body felt light like a feather and he heard the voice again, telling him to sing a funny song. Kihyun automatically sang and Professor Kim let him for a few seconds to then stop the curse once more. “Okay, it’s not something easy, let’s move on” the elder moved him aside. “Miss. Campbell” and he continued with the other students of the different houses.

When the class ended they all did ridiculous things and he laughed loudly with each one. Specially when it was Changkyun’s turn and Professor Kim made him imitate different animals. Kihyun was surprised because the Bloom sisters were the only ones who achieved it. Professor Jongwoon assured they had a lot of self control and gave Slytherin 10 points. On the other hand, Jooheon didn’t to do the exercise because he wouldn’t get out from under his desk and Kim Jongwoon took away 5 points from Gryffindor. Kihyun didn’t understand the reason of the Sorting Hat choosing that house for him.

The moment they went out of the classroom, Kihyun felt someone patting his shoulder. He turned around and surprisingly found Changkyun there with a hesitant expression on his face. “What do you want, filthy mudblood?” he moved his pink hair fabulously, waiting for the one in front of him to say something.

“I just wanted to say that you have an amazing voice” the Ravenclaw student didn’t laugh and Kihyun realized he was actually serious about it. “Don’t get me wrong, I still hate you, but I wanted to tell you because it surprised me” he ended his sentence there and the pink haired was so confused he didn’t react at all. “That’s all I have to say” Changkyun turned around and he felt something pulling him up from his ankle. __‘That twat!’__  he thought, using __Liberacorpus__ quickly to then chase Changkyun so he could take revenge.

“Im Changkyun! Come back here!” he yelled but the Ravenclaw student was already running away with Belle, Jooheon and Robert; the three of them laughing out loud.

 

 

 

“He likes your voice~” the Bloom sisters sing sung while walking by his side and Kihyun sighed. He was glad Potions class was over but he didn’t want to go to his next class since he’d have to work with Changkyun. Hagrid assigned them for the same creature and they had to take care of it together.

“Oh, shut up” the pink haired covered the sisters’ mouths with his palms and kicked Hyungwon’s shin as hard as he could from his uncomfortable position. The tall one whined in pain but didn’t stop laughing. “He just said it to confuse me so he could attack me! That’s not fair because we both became really good in nonverbal spells but he didn’t let me defend myself. Such a coward” Kihyun tried to reason with his friends but the Bloom sisters raised a brow at him while Hyungwon kept on laughing.

“I don’t think he said it to confuse you” the two girls said in unison. “He started laughing at you but he suddenly stopped” Lucy explained. “And listened carefully to the song” Hollie finished her sister’s sentence though they both shut up when Professor Slughorn reached for them. The pink haired thanked the heavens for that because they would finally forget about Changkyun’s unacceptable behavior. The old man was holding his books in one arm and his cauldron with the other. Kihyun knew he was returning to his luxurious office on the sixth floor. He then left his cauldron on the floor and took out four invitations from his pocket, using his wand to make it easier.

“Kihyun, this is for you... aaand this is for you, Hyungwon. I hope you can boys come to my lunch party on Saturday, I was planning to eat outside since we wont be able to do it in a few weeks” he smiled and the two students assured they would go. “Magnificent!” Slughorn craned his neck after picking up his cauldron from the floor. “There they are” he said. “Excuse me” he started walking in Changkyun and Belle’s direction. Kihyun didn’t realize his friends were looking at him with knowing smiles on their faces. He was too concentrated trying to figure out what the Ravenclaw student answered to Professor Slughorn. The pink haired saw him shaking his head to then bow and apologize. __‘He cannot go?’__  he thought, playing with the invitation while his cauldron hanged from his arm - with his Potions’ books inside it -. “That’s a shame!” Professor Horace yelled and he confirmed it. “Can’t you change the Quidditch training?” the old man asked, trying to convince him.

“I’m not the captain of the team, Professor, I’m sorry” Changkyun apologized. “We’ll try our best to finish before lunch”

“That’s what I wanted to hear, my boy” Professor Slughorn patted the Ravenclaw student’s back. “I want you to tell me more about your Muggle mother” the old man said and waved his hand at the both of them before picking up his cauldron to leave. Kihyun didn’t know Ravenclaw already had the schedule set for their Quidditch training. He thought their captain, Alana Rash, was a little indecisive about the new teammates. Ravenclaw’s Quidditch team had a lot of seventh year players and Alana had to choose them all over again. He only kept Changkyun, a guy from 7th year named Seth Mantle and a guy from 6th year named Theodore Tamaldge. Kihyun was wondering if the new team would be impossible to defeat or incredibly weak considering all the experienced players were gone. Their first match would be against Gryffindor and he already knew how to defeat Lee Minhyuk easily. Besides, Jooheon was one of the chasers and he was very scared of Bludgers. Robert needed to choose his team better; that was Kihyun’s belief.

“You know, Kihyunnie” Lucy circled an arm around his shoulders and made him realize Changkyun was no longer there. “As much as you like staring at Changkyun and thinking about him, you should realize he’s not there anymore and you’re gonna be late for your next class” she added and the sisters hi fived.

“I was not thinking about Changkyun nor I was looking at him, Lucy” the pink haired rolled his eyes and quickly headed to the Common Room to leave his Potions things before going upstairs to The Grounds of Hogwarts where Hagrid’s Hut was.

 

“You are late, Kihyun” Hagrid said when he managed to get there. “Are you okay?” he asked and the pink haired caught his breath before answering with a simple ‘yes’. “Perfect then, I’ll start now” he smiled. “Please follow me, we have to go collect food for our creatures into the Dark Forest” Hagrid said and Minhyuk shivered visibly. The blonde Gryffindor student was always scared of the Dark Forest so he clung to Trevor Keedy’s arm while they followed their Professor. “Look for your partners and start collecting these!” Hagrid yelled so everyone could hear him. “Be careful not to fall into the mud” he added and Kihyun reluctantly searched for Changkyun.

The Ravenclaw student wasn’t far from him but he didn’t move an inch. He wanted Changkyun to come to him instead so he waited there. The black haired was walking in his direction with a neutral expression and he couldn’t help to get a little nervous. He couldn’t forget the other’s comment about his amazing voice and, even if he tried not to show it to much, he had no idea how to act in front of him. He was confused because he believed Changkyun said it just to make him lose his concentration but Lucy told him a different story about Changkyun staring at him while he was singing. “What is that supposed to mean?” he whispered to himself and he suddenly had an idea.

Before Changkyun could reach his side, Kihyun pointed at him with his wand and murmured __Locomotor Wibbly__ , making his legs collapse and start shaking. The black haired fell when he cast the curse and he landed on the mud Hagrid was telling them about. The Ravenclaw student bit his lower lip in annoyance and quickly whispered the counter-curse to then get up. All the others were already laughing but Hagrid got worried and went to see if Changkyun was okay. “What happened? Was there any root?” he asked and Kihyun was glad their professor didn’t notice. His happiness wouldn’t last long though, the black haired always told their teachers when Kihyun threw him a curse in class.

“It was Kihyun” Changkyun did what the Slytherin student predicted and Hagrid scolded him but not so harshly. Rubeus Hagrid loved them both so he didn’t know how to handle their fights. “ _ _Tergeo__ ” the black haired said to clean himself and then walked to Kihyun’s side; sighing the whole time. “Don’t get surprised if you find worms in your food at dinner” he whispered when they started collecting those weird purple fruits - if he could call them that -.

“Ha! You think you can threaten me, how funny” Kihyun laughed evilly. “Don’t be surprised if you find yourself hanging from the roof tomorrow morning” the Slytherin student spoke but he didn’t think his threat well because he didn’t know how to enter the Ravenclaw Common Room.

“And you are going to enter my Common Room?” Changkyun seemed to be thinking the same thing. “How?” he asked and Kihyun quickly invented something.

“Theodore will help me” the Slytherin student picked up some more of those purple things and kept on talking.

“Yeah, right. Theodore isn’t such a prat” and they went on like that, arguing about nothing in special. Hagrid had to scold them in the end because they were the only ones talking. The two of them worked in silence when they returned to Hagrid’s Hut and they separated to get back to the Castle. Kihyun saw Changkyun walking by Minhyuk’s side and he lost him at the Entrance Hall.

 

 

 

When Changkyun opened his eyes that Tuesday morning, he knew it was still early. He stayed in bed, contemplating if he should get up to watch the rain fall at the Courtyard. He then sat up, combing his hair a little, and got dressed quickly. His black and blue robe reached the floor but he could grab it in case he stepped on a puddle. Changkyun rushed downstairs, passed by Rowena Ravenclaw’s statue by the dormitories’ door and rushed to Hogwarts corridors. The Common Room was completely empty and he started panicking. What if it was too early and Filch found him going around the castle when he wasn’t supposed to. He walked in silence, going downstairs in a low speed considering it was earlier than usual. When he reached the Entrance Hall he realized other students were already at the Great Hall chatting and he decided to walk normally. The Courtyard was drenched all over and Changkyun went closer to one of the windows to see better.

The rain drops were pretty big and crashed onto the ground with strength, splashing water all over. The black haired smiled toothlessly, enjoying the cold breeze that hit his face. He stayed for a few minutes there, not moving an inch, until he decided to go to the front of the Courtyard. Once there, he sat on the opening of one of the glass-less windows and took a deep breath. Spending the whole afternoon fighting with Kihyun left him exhausted so he went straight to bed after dinner. He knew he had to do their Defense Against the Dark Arts parchment and a Potions investigation but he had time after Herbology class.

Changkyun got lost in his own thoughts and he started getting confused again. __‘Why did I tell him that?’__  he thought, blushing at the memory of his heart racing when he heard Kihyun singing. The black haired couldn’t explain what he felt but that voice didn’t seem human to him. __‘Maybe Kihyun has Veela blood running in his veins’__  he tried to find a reasonable explanation but he just couldn’t. __‘I hate him’__  he kept on talking to himself inside his mind while his head rested against the window’s frame. __‘He’s an annoying twat’__  he moved his legs slightly and shivered when a particularly strong breeze hit his covered up body.

Changkyun was so concentrated on the raindrops he completely missed to hear someone approaching him. Before he could react, two arms surrounded his waist and the person behind him pretended to push him to then bring him back. “Bloody hell, Jooheon” he touched his chest, trying to calm his raced heart and turned around to find his friend laughing.

“I’m sorry, you were lost in your thoughts and it was tempting” Jooheon sat by his side, grabbing the edges of his black and red robe not to let it get drenched. Changkyun was sure his own clothes were a lost case at that point but he didn’t care, he needed air. “What were you thinking about?” his Gryffindor friend asked, making him feel nervous all over again. Maybe Kihyun gave him a love potion without him knowing or maybe he threw him a curse he didn’t learn yet.

“Nothing important” Changkyun lied and Jooheon narrowed his eyes - if that was even possible - not believing his words. “I was planning my schedule well because I have so much to do” he sighed, pretending he didn’t notice Jooheon’s expressions. “What are you doing up so early?” he tried his best to change the subject because he couldn’t hide his blushing cheeks anymore and it was embarrassing.

“I needed fresh air to clear my mind, just like you” the Gryffindor student circled an arm around Changkyun’s shoulders. “But it isn’t about my schedule... I’m not crazy like you, I only took the subjects I need for my profession” he chuckled and the black haired slapped his head. “I... I think I’m in love, Changkyunnie” he said and Changkyun widened his eyes. __‘He’s in love with Belle’__  he thought, trying not to smile too much and pretend he was surprised. The Ravenclaw student always knew Jooheon liked Belle back but they just never confessed. “She’s perfect and I’m a coward as you already know” he made Changkyun giggle. “I’m scared of everything and I’m so frustrated about it” his voice was starting to lower, as if he wasn’t confident. “I cannot get my Quidditch training well, I almost failed Herbology last year because of that and I couldn’t even pick Care of Magical Creatures because I knew I would fail if I did” he sighed. “And now, I like a girl and I cannot tell her because I’m a coward” Changkyun patted his back in a comforting manner.

“I’m sure she likes you back” the black haired winked and Jooheon understood what he meant. “Don’t be scared, go for it” Changkyun smiled and his friend hugged him.

“Thank you!” Jooheon yelled and ran to the castle, leaving the Ravenclaw student alone with his thoughts. Kihyun got back into his mind in the speed of light and he growled. It was silly to like someone’s voice when you clearly didn’t like the owner of it but Changkyun actually loved his voice. __‘It was angel-like’__  he thought. __‘It cannot be Kihyun’__  he got even more confused and frustrated until someone pushed him, making him land in the middle of the wet Courtyard.

“Ups” it was Kihyun and Changkyun quickly grabbed his wand, knowing he would have to fight once again, even if he didn’t feel like it.

“ _ _Locomotor Mortis!__ ” the black haired yelled and Kihyun’s legs stuck together, making him fall. Changkyun stood up and passed by the Slytherin student’s side, hearing him muttering the counter-curse. The black haired started running into the castle and Kihyun followed him, throwing all kind of curses. He defended himself, trying to quickly go to the stairs. He wanted to return to his Common Room to change clothes because he was drenched but Kihyun wouldn’t let him.

“Come back here and fight like a man!” the pink haired attracted some students’ attention after screaming that phrase and that made Changkyun have a strong wish of disappearing. He easily blocked each curse though Kihyun wouldn’t stop and he was growing tired already. He dodged one of the lights and fell backwards since he was standing on the Grand Staircase.

“Enough!” it was McGonagall’s strong voice that interrupted them and Changkyun managed to stand up after dodging the last curse. The Headmistress walked in Kihyun’s direction and motioned with her hand for Changkyun to go there too. The black haired walked downstairs with heavy steps and stopped in front of the Slytherin student. “Okay, let me tell you” she whispered not to be heard by the others. “If I find you throwing curses at each other one more time, you’ll spend a month helping Mr. Filch” she said and they both apologized. “I’ll make sure you work together in every class from now on and you better treat each other decently” McGonagall left them alone and made everyone else go back to the Great Hall.

“I hate you so much” Changkyun whispered.

“Me too” Kihyun smiled and left to the Great Hall.

 

 

“And then, like this, you extract the pods” Professor Sprout’s loud voice echoed around the greenhouse. “Be careful and help each other, you will need your partner more than ever for this” she added. “I’ll be taking a closer look at you two” she whispered, pointing at Changkyun and Kihyun. “Start!” that was her last word and Changkyun turned to look at the weird looking plant in front of them. He was with Kihyun, trying his best not to insult him after what he did earlier. He had to concentrate and stop fighting but... how was he supposed to do that when the Slytherin student didn’t seem to give up? Robert and Jooheon scolded him after McGonagall returned to the Great Hall and he seriously didn’t need that with all the things he had to do. Changkyun was angry at his friends at that moment, they weren’t his parents and he was pretty much responsible all the time to receive unnecessary trash. That was the reason he asked Belle to stand by his side, even if he was forced to have Kihyun by his other side. Jooheon was with her - he didn’t confess yet but Changkyun wasn’t in a good mood to encourage him - and Robert was with Trevor a little farther.

The Ravenclaw student didn’t say a word to Kihyun and started distracting the plant. The pink haired quickly got his unspoken message and collected a pod easily. Professor Sprout was behind them, nodding her head at their good work. Even if the professors tried to give them detention every time they fought, Changkyun knew those were only threats. Everyone was pleased with their development and they had to admit the teenagers didn’t do anything too dangerous. Their curses were more funny than anything and they both knew the counter-curses to reverse them. “Kihyun” Hyungwon called his friend’s name, distracting him for a few seconds. Changkyun quickly grabbed the pink haired’s arm and took it out from the plant before the thorn-covered vines attacked him. Of course, the Slytherin student didn’t thank him; he slapped Changkyun’s hand away, making him growl in annoyance. “Help me, we can’t do it” he begged, going closer to Kihyun to whisper something. “You already know Fergus, he’s such a prat” Hyungwon was working with Fergus and he didn’t seem happy either.

“Do it yourself, Hyungwon, I have to work with this mudblood and you are complaining about Fergus” Kihyun said and Changkyun took a deep breath not to insult him.

“Mr. Yoo, keep those insults to yourself” Professor Sprout scolded him. “If I hear you say it again, I’ll make you clean all the greenhouses” she added and the Ravenclaw student flashed his partner a satisfied smile.

“Oh, shut up” Kihyun rolled his eyes. “And you” he pointed at Hyungwon. “Do it yourself! You have hands and Fergus too” he ended the conversation there and Changkyun distracted the plant once again while Kihyun collected the pods. The black haired was extremely bored so he took a quick glance at Hyungwon and Fergus from time to time. The plant was trying to eat Hyungwon’s skinny arm because Fergus didn’t do a nice job and Changkyun sighed.

“Wait a second” his deep voice came out as a mere whisper and Kihyun got confused when he made him change places. “Look, you aren’t doing it right” Changkyun told Hyungwon. “I’ll show you” the black haired distracted the plant with one of his hands and then slid the other into the hole the tentacle-like branches made. He took out one pod and turned to Hyungwon to make sure he understood.

“Hey, it’s not so hard to do” the tall one flashed him a smile. “Thank you, mudblood!” Hyungwon told him, making him laugh a little. Kihyun slapped his head after that and he glared at him.

“Don’t help my friends” the Slytherin student growled when he saw Hyungwon finally getting one pod. “I have my reasons not to help them” he talked some more and Changkyun rolled his eyes.

“Whatever” the Ravenclaw student turned to look at Belle in case she needed help but, as always, she had everything under control. Well, everything except Jooheon, who went to hide behind her not to be attacked by those thorn-covered vines.

 

 

 

Kihyun was having breakfast that Saturday morning with his friends and they were reading The Daily Prophet together, laughing at the absurd news it contained. Lucy waved her hand at someone when they turned the page over and Kihyun saw Belle greeting her back. Changkyun was by her side and he seemed confused as well. “Are you her friend?” the Slytherin student asked Lucy.

“Yes, do you have anything to say about it?” the girl raised a brow and her sister chuckled. “She’s nice” the Bloom sisters said in unison like always. Kihyun didn’t have anything to say, he was just surprised. He kept on reading the newspaper with them and ignored everything around. “The three of us are Prefects and it’s good to have some allies, don’t you think?” Lucy interrupted their reading and Kihyun didn’t know what to answer. He nodded after a few seconds, showing her a smile, even if he didn’t want Lucy or Hollie to be Belle’s friends. The Ravenclaw girl seemed nice but she had a huge problem: she was Changkyun’s best friend.

The Great Hall was full of students that morning and he knew everyone would head to the Library after eating something. Saturdays were good to study but Kihyun had other thing to attend. Slughorn’s lunch party was in a few hours and he was excited to go. He liked the food Professor Slughorn gave them and he got to drink mead or butter bear. He just hoped the old man took one of those beverages to his party because he was craving for it. __‘Changkyun said he had Quidditch training’__  he thought, remembering what happened on Monday after Potions class. Kihyun had to work with him so many times that week he actually forgot to tease him. All the professors were taking a closer look at them and they wouldn’t let the Slytherin student express himself. __‘I could go and watch their training’__  he had a brilliant idea and he suddenly heard Alana calling her team. Kihyun quickly turned around, curious about her choices.

The Ravenclaw Quidditch team stood up and he was surprised to see Belle going with them. Kihyun was right, she only kept Changkyun, Theodore and Seth. The rest were Arlo Williams - a boy from 5th year -, Belle and Reuben Cox - a boy from 4th year -. __‘Ridiculous’__  he thought, not having faith in Alana’s choices. Arlo was tall and clumsy and his blonde, curly hair almost covered his eyes. On the other hand, Reuben was short like a midget and his hair was like him: short. Kihyun seriously believed the only good thing he had was his broom; nothing else.

When he saw the Quidditch team walking in the Great Hall’s entrance direction, he decided to come up with a convincing excuse to leave his table. “I’m going to the bathroom and then I’ll pick my outfit to wear at Professor Slughorn’s party” he excused himself and ran after The Ravenclaw team. He was sure the Bloom sisters didn’t fully believe him but Hyungwon was so immersed in his reading, he missed to hear what he said. Kihyun went through the corridors trying to hide from the Ravenclaw students that were already carrying his brooms in their hands. Their Quidditch equipment ready for them to practice and, the moment they reached the Quidditch pitch, Alana ordered them to fly around to warm up a little. Kihyun sat on the grass, hiding from them, and watched them in silence.

It was the first time he decided to go see someone else’s training and he totally regretted his decision. Arlo was no joke flying, just like Reuben. He judged them wrong as always, they were really good. Belle was fast and threw the Quaffle with strength but Kihyun’s eyes constantly fixated on Changkyun. He wanted to confirm Hollie’s rumors about the black haired practicing on vacation and he realized she was right. The Ravenclaw student developed an impressive speed and he reacted perfectly. Kihyun was starting to feel intimidated, even if he wouldn’t show it. He kept on staring at Changkyun, not able to tear his gaze away from him until Alana ended the training and he remembered he needed to change for Slughorn’s lunch.

Kihyun stood up, running like crazy in the castle’s direction. He went to his Common Room to change and quickly returned to the fields, finding Hyungwon walking by himself through the grass. Slughorn was already waiting for them in the location he wrote in the invitation and Kihyun was surprised to find Belle and Changkyun sitting on the grass. The two of them were still wearing their black and blue Quidditch uniforms. The pink haired flashed Changkyun a sneaky glance when he sat down and started planning Quidditch tactics inside his mind. He knew they would go against Gryffindor first but they needed to be prepared for Ravenclaw. Alana’s decisions were extremely good and Kihyun had to be better. __‘I’ll put pressure on them’__  he thought and nodded to himself, interrupting his thoughts once his professor made a toast. Thankfully the day was sunny and the cold breeze was nothing to worry about.


	5. They are my friends, not yours

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter there are more Changki moments hihihi  
> I hope you like it ^^

Weeks went on like that and Kihyun was starting to get used to Changkyun’s presence. They still fought at the corridors when they made sure no professors were around but it was a little different than before. The pink haired actually enjoyed working with him in class - he would never say it out loud - because he knew how to do everything. They finished their homework really fast and they managed to achieve difficult spells in no time. Kihyun was starting to think Professor McGonagall’s punishment wasn’t so bad after all.

That Friday, they had Transfiguration class with Professor Adwell and he taught them how to change their eyebrows’ color. To Kihyun, it was a silly spell. He didn’t want to change his hair color but, in the end, his previously black eyebrows turned pink and Professor Callum congratulated him. The elder also congratulated Changkyun, who changed his eyebrows into an electric blue tone. They were the first ones to achieve it though a lot of students did it. Belle managed to turn her eyebrows into an orange color, Hyungwon green and the Bloom sisters picked their favorite colors - Professor Adwell scolded Lucy because she liked black and he couldn’t tell the difference and he also scolded Hollie because she managed to change only one eyebrow into a lilac tone -. It was fun to see everyone looking like clowns and laughing at each other. Robert kept on raising his eyebrows at Changkyun and the latter couldn’t stop laughing. His laughter was contagious but Kihyun did his best not to let out any kind of noise, not even a chuckle.

Their fun didn’t last long though. Professor Callum Adwell didn’t like teenagers playing in his classes so he ended up scolding them and changing their activity. He made them quickly write a parchment to hand before the end of the class and everyone complied. The only problem was their eyebrows were still colorful and they had a lot of trouble concentrating. Before they had to leave, their professor taught them the counter-spell and almost everyone turned their eyebrows back to normal. Hyungwon was still struggling and he gave up after changing one of them. “I can live with a green eyebrow” were his words while they headed to the Library to keep on studying. Kihyun could help him but he found it funny, just like the Bloom sisters. The three of them were trying their best not to laugh at Hyungwon so he wouldn’t get desperate to change his eyebrow back to its normal color.

The Library was full of sixth years and Kihyun wasn’t surprised. They looked for a free table to sit but there was none. “There!” Lucy suddenly yelled and dragged them to the back. Kihyun growled when he realized what Lucy had in mind. Belle, Changkyun, Robert and Jooheon were the only ones in their table and they had extra space. Kihyun knew Jooheon was saving their spots because he didn’t take Transfiguration that year. “Can we sit with you?” Lucy asked and Belle smiled.

“Sure!” she said but the boys didn’t seem so eager. Kihyun sat by Robert’s side, trying to avoid Changkyun for a while and he saw Hyungwon sitting next to him. The pink haired stared at them while everyone studied in silence. He didn’t want his friends to be around Changkyun because they didn’t seem to hate him. Hyungwon asked him questions about their Potions homework and Kihyun didn’t like it because Changkyun answered in a soft voice. __‘Why don’t you hate my friends as much as you hate me, huh?’__  he thought. __‘They are my friends’__  his mind wouldn’t leave him alone and his book almost fell from his hands when Hyungwon laughed about a joke Changkyun made. __‘How dare you laugh at his jokes?’__  he tried not to say it out loud and control his impulses.

“You know, you have a green eyebrow” the Ravenclaw student pointed at Hyungwon’s face, making him chuckle.

“I’m just trying to start a new trend around school” Hyungwon lied and Changkyun laughed. “I couldn’t get the counter-spell right... that’s the truth” he whispered, not noticing the deadly glare he was receiving from Kihyun’s side. The black haired laughed again and took his wand to then point at Hyungwon and pronounce the counter-spell. His green eyebrow turned black and Kihyun couldn’t stop himself this time. He grabbed a piece of parchment, made it a ball and threw it to Changkyun’s head.

“Don’t start it” the black haired told him and Kihyun stuck his tongue out at him. “You know what? I’m leaving, I don’t want to get detention” Changkyun stood up and organized his stuff. “I’ll see you at lunch” he said, staring at his own friends. “Do it, don’t be such a coward” he whispered in Jooheon’s ear to then pat his back and leave. Jooheon blushed up to his ears and Kihyun saw him avoiding eye contact. Who did he like? The pink haired tried to think about a proper answer to that question and he found it fast. Belle was the only girl in their group and Jooheon always worked with her. Kihyun didn’t understand the reason of Changkyun letting Belle work with Jooheon all the time but he got everything now. The pink haired stared at them with a knowing smile until Jooheon stood up.

“Belle, I just realized I left something at The Great Hall, can you come with me?” he asked and Belle didn’t seem to suspect anything as she grinned brightly and nodded, following the Gryffindor student through the busy Library. Robert stayed there alone with them and he seemed uncomfortable. Kihyun couldn’t blame him, they weren’t his friends and he clearly didn’t like Slytherin at all.

“You are Robert, right?” Hollie tried to make him feel less awkward and she kind of achieved it. The Gryffindor student spent the rest of their time there talking to her and Kihyun didn’t like what was happening. Why didn’t she let Robert go? They could keep the table and stay alone without having to socialize with people they never liked before in those 5 - and a half - years of school. __‘It’s all Professor McGonagall’s fault’__  he thought, knowing everything started when she scolded them and made the other professors control them. Being all day long together wasn’t something Kihyun wanted and much less if his friends enjoyed what was happening.

After they left the Library, they had lunch at the Slytherin table and got rid of Robert. Kihyun hoped they would stop talking because, if they didn’t, he wouldn’t be able to shut up anymore.

 

Later that day, Kihyun went to the Quidditch pitch to train with his team. They had been working hard because their first match against Gryffindor was in a week and they needed to win. The pink haired had no doubt about it but, seeing the improvement in The Ravenclaw team, he got a little nervous. Kihyun went to see their training every week since that morning he went to spy on them and Alana didn’t notice until last Saturday. She kicked him out of the pitch and threatened him but he wasn’t scared; he told her anyone could watch the training and he was absolutely right because there was no rule against it. Changkyun just rolled his eyes at him, giving him no importance as he kicked the floor to fly once again. The Golden Snitch was still around the field and he didn’t seem ready to give up. Kihyun stared at him while walking away from there and Alana shook her head, returning to her labor as a captain and a Keeper.

After that day, he decided maybe it was time to stop spying on them. He had his own tactics as a captain and he thought they would work very well to defeat any team. Staring at Im Changkyun for hours wouldn’t help him improve but he just couldn’t take his eyes off of him when he flew on his broom. It was the first time he realized how ethereal and delicate were his moves, he almost looked like air. Of course Kihyun would never admit that out loud; he rather die than say something like that, more if it was about him liking something about Changkyun. The pink haired never watched him fly before because they had flying lessons with Madam Hooch in their first year and he didn’t even spot the Ravenclaw student in between his classmates. That was even before he threw that stupid curse on him and they weren’t enemies yet. Kihyun was extremely surprised at how hypnotizing it was to watch him fly but that wouldn’t make him soften his treatment. They were enemies and even if Changkyun liked his voice - yeah, he didn’t forget that - and even if he ~~loved~~  liked the way that prat flew, they couldn’t be friends.

That afternoon Kihyun was determined to show his team his new tactics and he hoped they put a lot of effort to achieve them. They were doing really good, he couldn’t complain, but he needed some more - specially for the match against Ravenclaw that would be in a few months -. The pink haired stood in front of his teammates with his broom in one hand and the Quaffle under his other arm. They were all wearing their black and green Quidditch uniforms, waiting for him to say something before starting their training. “Okay, you can fly around to warm up a little” Kihyun gave his first instruction. “I’ll tell you about some tactics when we finish warming up” he smiled and raised his fist in the air. “We can do it!” he yelled and all the others did the same, automatically obeying his command.

When they were high in the air, they flew around the pitch as usual, going in different directions to practice their reflexes. Kihyun made dangerous turns and flew straight to the floor to stabilize his broom just in time before crashing against it. He loved doing that, it gave him a shot of adrenaline and it helped him a lot. Following the Snitch around wasn’t easy, the golden ball made sure they had to do extreme things before catching it. Kihyun flew around for a while until he felt it was enough. He called his team and landed on the ground once again. He spotted Lucy on the grades and he wondered what was she doing there. She was in the team when he started as a captain but he had to kick her out because she never got up in time to train. They had morning training back then and she was too lazy to even appear. He changed her for Lottie - a 4th year student - and gave her the option of coming back if she wished to. Lucy never appeared again until that year and Kihyun knew it was because they trained in the afternoon. “Lucy! Why didn’t you enter the team if you were so eager to play?” the pink haired yelled and the girl raised her shoulders.

“I thought you didn’t want me on your team” she said, eating more from the snack she bought at Hogsmeade the last time they went there.

“I kicked you out because you never trained” Kihyun rolled his eyes at her and she raised her shoulders one more time, eating more of those snacks. The Bloom sisters were all day long together, that was the reason Lucy went to see them train - she also got bored inside the castle alone -. “Okay, come here, I wrote down our tactics so you understand them better” Kihyun showed them a long parchment with tiny drawings and annotations to then proceed to explain everything. The others perfectly understood what he wanted to do so he decided to start. “We’ll use this side of the pitch only - as we always do - and I want you to play as if we were against Ravenclaw-” Ethan raised his hand, interrupting his words.

“We’ll play against Gryffindor, not Ravenclaw, Kihyun” the 7th year student said and he realized the mistake he made.

“I’m sorry, I meant to say Gryffindor” the look the Bloom sisters shared was too familiar for Kihyun. He knew them too well and he knew what that look meant. The pink haired ignored them, even if his mind went back to Changkyun’s flying skills, making him lose his concentration for a few seconds. “Just... do it seriously” Kihyun added quickly, realizing he spaced out in front of his entire team and they were all staring at him with confused expressions on their faces. “Go! I’ll let the Bludgers and the Snitch out” the pink haired headed to the wooden box that contained the different balls and let those dangerous Bludgers go. He did the same thing with the golden Snitch and kicked the floor, going upwards with his team.

The training was extremely good and he felt satisfied. Hyungwon and Leo made a very good team as Beaters. Hollie, Olivia and Lottie were fast and they threw with strength to the goal posts. Ethan was a talented Keeper and Kihyun himself managed to catch the Snitch in record time. He was happy about the results so he congratulated their teammates before going back to the castle to change clothes and prepare for dinner over The Great Hall. He had lots of homework to do and he couldn’t lose much time.

 

 

“Changkyunnie!” Belle yelled his name after entering their Common Room that afternoon. He didn’t know if he should be happy or not because Jooheon didn’t confess that morning and he didn’t want to have false hope anymore. “Jooheon confessed to me!” she said and Changkyun finally smiled, standing up from the wooden chair to hug her. __‘It was about time’__  he thought, squeezing Belle’s form in an enthusiastic manner to then part and shake her from her shoulders.

“We have to go celebrate!” the black haired made her chuckle. “Why did he take so long?” he palmed his face. “It was too obvious you two liked each other” he sat back down on his chair, dragging Belle with him in the process and making her sit on the other chair that was near his. “You have to tell me all the details because I’m sure he panicked while doing so” the two friends laughed and Belle nodded her head.

“He panicked big time! I thought he was about to faint” the girl was very happy, even if Jooheon’s confession didn’t seem to be romantic or good. Judging by her previous words, Changkyun imagined Jooheon taking 3 hours to finally go to the point. “I managed to calm him down after a few minutes and he spoke so fast I didn’t catch what he said” they laughed again. “But then he paused, took a deep breath and finally did it” Belle slapped Changkyun’s arm repeatedly, not able to contain her happiness and the black haired whined like a kid, making her stop. “I’m sorry, I’m just overly excited” she sat there with a smile. “I’ll go tell Lucy and Hollie about it and maybe go back to Jooheon after that... you know, we have to” she paused. “Get used to kissing” she finished her sentence and Changkyun chuckled.

“Okay, have fun” the black haired caressed her arm and she stood up with a smile. “Wait, Belle” he called her before she could leave because he remembered he had something that belonged to Kihyun. “Can you give this to Hollie and Lucy? Kihyun forgot it this morning and I don’t really want to see him again today” he handed Belle the Transfiguration book.

“Okay, I’ll do it” the girl stared at him for a few seconds with the book in her hands. “You know, we think you should be friends” Belle surprised him with those words because she usually stayed quiet when he complained about Kihyun. Changkyun was sure the Bloom sisters had to do with that sudden change but he didn’t mind; he wouldn’t be the pink haired’s friend just because they thought they should be friends. They were enemies, they seriously hated each other and that wouldn’t change. They couldn’t spend two seconds together without starting a fight. They were better than before but just because McGonagall threatened them. Changkyun was sure Kihyun would forget about it in a few months. “You are both so brilliant and adorable” she said, making her friend laugh. “You two make a great team when you aren’t insulting each other” she insisted.

“You think he’s adorable?” it was more a statement than a question and Belle rolled her eyes. “Maybe I was right about him having __Veela__  blood in his veins” he whispered, talking to himself while brushing his chin with his index finger.

“ _ _Veela__  blood? What are you talking about?” Belle frowned in confusion.

“Nothing!” Changkyun waved his hands in front of his face. “Tell Jooheon he’s a bloody coward” he tried changing the subject not to start thinking about Kihyun’s voice. “And tell him I’m happy about you two” he smiled and quickly buried his face behind his Arithmancy book. Belle didn’t have other choice so she left the Common Room without saying anything else.

 

 

 

On Saturday morning, Kihyun finally decided not to show up at the Quidditch pitch to spy on Ravenclaw and he spent his whole day playing Wizard Chess with Hyungwon, winning almost every game. It was fun doing nothing sometimes and he had all his homework done. Sixth year was difficult but he was waiting for something terrible and it wasn’t that bad. Kihyun always managed to do everything right in the end and he felt proud of himself for being such a good student. He liked bothering other students while he walked through the corridors but that didn’t make him a bad student.

That Sunday, he went to Hogwarts Grounds alone to sit on the grass and took his Quidditch notebook with him to write down whatever tactic came into his mind. He was pleased with their last training though he had more ideas and he liked changing things sometimes. It helped his team think fast and he liked to prove they were capable of doing it. Kihyun looked around and spotted Hagrid feeding one of those strange creatures of his. He looked extremely happy and the pink haired understood his reasons. If he lived in a place like Hogwarts surrounded by interesting creatures and a green scenery, he would be jumping around like a bunny. Kihyun then stared at the Quidditch pitch and admired it, finding it blinding. It was definitely his favorite part of the whole castle; he felt free every time he was in there flying. The wind on his face - even if it was cold - and the way everyone looked so tiny from up there made him realize how lucky he was to be a wizard. Muggles didn’t have the privilege of flying without planes and wizards got to feel like birds on their brooms.

Kihyun’s gaze shifted to his notebook and, instead of writing, he started drawing the pitch. He was terrible at drawing but it was kind of fun. Hoseok - the artist of Hogwarts - was right when he tried to invite him to his Art Club. And it turned funnier when they made the drawings move. __‘It looks better like this’__  he thought when he made the flags and trees around his badly drawn pitch move. The wind was too cold for his liking but he had his thick scarf covering half of his face - a piece of clothing most of the students didn’t wear yet -. His black and green robe was resting on top of his legs to protect them from the cold and he believed he looked like some kind of penguin while fixing his artwork.

“Hoseok was right, you seriously need the Art Club” a voice could be heard from behind him and he recognized it right away. That deep, manly voice he had to stand all day long since McGonagall scolded them at The Grand Staircase. The pink haired turned his covered up face to the side and looked above his head to find Changkyun, resting his shoulder on the tree Kihyun was using as a backrest and staring at his drawing with a judging frown.

“Shut up, you filthy mudblood” the Slytherin student said though a smile was threatening to show on his features and he felt very confused about it. Kihyun managed not to let it have power on him and kept on drawing without looking at the newcomer. “Go away” he harshly spoke. “Do you want my autograph or something, you prick?” he asked and his hand suddenly slipped, ruining the drawing. “Bloody hell” he left his things by his side and crossed his arms over his chest.

“I don’t want anything with you” Changkyun replied but he seemed serene, as if he was too tired to fight back. “I always sit here on Sundays but you can have this tree, I’ll find another one” he yawned and started walking away, dragging his books and parchment pieces with him. Kihyun didn’t know what came into him but his heart was racing and his entire body was shaking. __‘It’s just this awful weather’__  he tried to convince himself but he knew it was all about the black haired’s presence. __‘I’ll never watch him fly again’__  he made a mental note because he was sure he would come back if he didn’t.

Changkyun sat under a smaller tree - it looked uncomfortable - not far from where he was and fixated his eyes on his Ancient Runes book, not saying another word in long minutes. Kihyun watched him study, not able to focus on his terrible drawing anymore. The Ravenclaw student was so calm and quiet sometimes. He had that nerdy aura that called Kihyun’s attention in their second year of school, that nerdy aura that made him practice that dim witted curse on him. The pink haired wasn’t sure if that was a good decision anymore and all because of McGonagall’s punishment. They would never be friends but, why was his brain trying to convince him about it? Did anyone practice a __Confundus__  charm on him?

“I didn’t see you at the Quidditch pitch yesterday” Changkyun made him fall back to reality. “Are you suddenly scared of Alana?” if he used a different tone of voice it would have sounded as if he was making fun of Kihyun but he didn’t seem to be doing that; he sounded authentically curious - it wasn’t his I’m-about-to-start-a-discussion tone -.

“I’m not scared of her, I’m just bored of watching bad Quidditch every Saturday morning” the Slytherin student heard a soft chuckle from his companion as he was trying to be rude and he couldn’t stop his smile anymore. Thankfully, that thick scarf was hiding his face up to his nose and it couldn’t be seen. Changkyun wasn’t even looking back at him though, he was still staring at his book and he stayed in silence once again. Long minutes passed like that and Kihyun decided to keep on drawing for the sake of having something to do other than staring at Changkyun studying.

“I think you should find a better place to hide” the Ravenclaw student spoke again, lifting his gaze to finally look back at Kihyun. “I saw you that morning Professor Slughorn invited us to his lunch party” he added and stared at his book once more.

“You saw me?” the pink haired wasn’t sure if he’d heard him right but he confirmed it when he nodded. “Why didn’t you tell Alana?” he asked, finding it hard to believe.

“There’s no rule against watching a Quidditch training, right? Why would I?” he was right but Kihyun was still confused about Changkyun’s good attitude towards him.

“Maybe because it is me we are talking about?” the pink haired didn’t stop looking at him and he felt suddenly nervous when Changkyun lifted his gaze.

“That’s a good reason” the black haired thought for a few seconds before opening his mouth to talk again. “I just didn’t feel like it, even if you are the biggest twat I’ve ever met” Kihyun growled in annoyance because he didn’t know how to react at that nice attitude. They always fought, why wasn’t Changkyun pointing at him with his wand to throw him a nonverbal __Levicorpus__  or some other curse?

“You are acting too calm to my liking so I’m gonna leave” the Slytherin student stood up after organizing his things. “I’ll visit Hagrid before it’s completely dark” he saw Changkyun’s chocolate brown eyes fixating on him and he wished him to stop. “Don’t lower your guard, mudblood. Don’t think I’ll stop throwing curses at you” those were his last words before he started walking to Hagrid’s Hut. He turned around only when he reached his destiny and saw Changkyun in the same position, studying peacefully in silence.

 

 

 

Kihyun couldn’t relax that Saturday. He didn’t sleep at all the night before after their Quidditch training and he would surely be dead tired. It was already November and they had their first Quidditch match against Gryffindor. The pink haired was confident but nervous at the same time. It was all about him being the captain of the team; he had to do well otherwise people would talk rubbish behind his back. The pink haired was a brilliant Seeker though he was a little distracted and concentration was a critical part at that specific moment.

The Great Hall was full of students, all ready with their flags and colorful outfits to cheer on the different houses. Kihyun noticed not much people would cheer for Slytherin as always but he saw Belle with two flags instead of one. The girl was sitting by Jooheon’s side on the Ravenclaw table - even if the boy had to sit on the Gryffindor table instead - and they were sharing pecks from time to time. Changkyun was by their side and he didn’t seem to care about his two friends kissing. Kihyun thought he wouldn’t be like that because he hated people sharing love in front of him. He believed there was a thing called privacy and he loved keeping it.

The pink haired ate more of his breakfast, not tearing his gaze away from the Ravenclaw student - who was peacefully reading one of those fairy tales he enjoyed so much since first year -. He wondered how could he read with all that noise around him and knowing the match was only an hour away. Ravenclaw had to cancel their Quidditch training due to the first match and Alana didn’t seem happy. Kihyun heard McGonagall talking to her and giving them Sunday morning to do it. Alana wanted to be free but McGonagall told her it was the only option she had and the younger woman didn’t want to cancel their training.

Kihyun kept on eating while watching Changkyun and he frowned when he realized his plate was empty. “Why isn’t he eating?” he whispered to himself but, as always, the Bloom sisters heard him. Hyungwon went to look for his broom - he left it at the Common Room without noticing - so he was alone with those two mean girls.

“Who are you talking about, Kihyunnie?” Hollie went closer to him from across the table to look in the same direction he was looking and he suddenly became nervous and changed his sight, staring at his food.

“No one” the pink haired ate more, trying to make them forget about the issue with no success. The sisters shared that same knowing look they shared several times already and raised their eyebrows twice at Kihyun, making him blush. He was glad they didn’t say anything about it but he could feel their burning stares on his flushed face he tried not to show. Hyungwon arrived at that uncomfortable moment and placed his broom on the floor to then stare at them with his neutral expression.

“Oh, wait a second” Hyungwon said and walked to the Ravenclaw table to sit by Changkyun’s side. Kihyun growled in annoyance and his brain started showing him all the times Hyungwon went to ask Changkyun for help that last week. The tall one didn’t seem to mind working with the black haired, he even liked him being around in all their classes and Kihyun wasn’t pleased. Their little talk at Hogwarts Grounds last Sunday left him confused about the whole thing and he didn’t like Changkyun’s soft tone. It made him believe they could actually forget every fight they had to become friends and that couldn’t be good.

When Hyungwon returned to the Slytherin table, Kihyun couldn’t contain himself anymore. He knew they had a match in less than 30 minutes but he couldn’t help it, he needed to express himself. He didn’t like the Bloom sisters being Belle’s friends but he seriously hated Hyungwon laughing along with Changkyun. It wasn’t something he could control and telling them would help him get that heavy weight off his shoulders. “Hey, I want to say something” Kihyun made them lift their heads to listen. “I don’t like you being around them, they aren’t our friends” he started and the Bloom sisters rolled their eyes. “Much less that filthy mudblood you are asking help from” the pink haired slapped Hyungwon’s arm and he whined in pain. “Why don’t you come to me? I’m your friend, he’s not!” he protested and Hyungwon raised his shoulders.

“You never help me and I like him, he’s nice” the tall one made him get angrier with those absurd words. __‘He’s not nice’__  he thought. __‘He’s pretending to be nice so my friends stop talking to me’__  he clenched his fists under the table.

“Belle is nice too, we are patrolling the corridors together since we are Prefects” Lucy said. “And you cannot force us”

“You are traitors” Kihyun whispered in annoyance and the two sisters laughed. Hyungwon just raised his shoulders not caring too much about it and started eating his breakfast before they had to leave The Great Hall.

“You are calling us traitors when you are clearly dying to be Changkyun’s friend and no, don’t deny it because we’ve seen you and we know you too well” Hollie hi-fived with her sister and didn’t let Kihyun complain about it. “Belle told us you went to see the Ravenclaw team’s training and you couldn’t take your eyes off Changkyun” she added and the pink haired shushed her.

“That’s not true! He’s terrible at flying and I was just curious about their new team, I didn’t want any surprises this year” Kihyun quickly lied and the Bloom sisters raised a brow in unison. “I don’t care about him! I hate him and I will hate him the rest of my life, okay?” the pink haired became really nervous because he wasn’t expecting Belle to see him watching Changkyun fly with hearts in his eyes. “End of the discussion!” he yelled when Lucy was about to open her mouth to talk and kept on eating. The Slytherin students stayed in silence until they had to leave to the Quidditch pitch and Kihyun failed to notice Changkyun’s confused look towards him, which the Bloom sisters and Belle noticed.

 

His whole team was staring at him while they waited in their changing room, expecting him to say something like he did in every match. Kihyun couldn’t focus and Hollie didn’t help with that knowing look she was throwing at him. Why did he have to be jealous? It was a bad choice letting everything out, he should have kept it to himself as he did for those last weeks. “Remember what I told you yesterday” Kihyun said to start somewhere. “We can do it, Slytherin!” he cheered and made them all put their hands together to then lift them in the air. “Let’s crash Gryffindor” he ended his ‘speech’ there and everyone followed him to the wooden door. The enthusiastic cheers of the students could be heard loudly from there. They were all yelling things while they waited for the teams to appear.

After a few minutes, Madam Hooch announced their entrance and the door opened to let them fly. The Slytherin team showed off their abilities around the pitch, hearing some people jeering at them - mostly Gryffindors -, and Kihyun spotted Belle with the two flags cheering. Changkyun was beside her with an unreadable expression on his face, holding only his Gryffindor flag in his hand. His blue scarf was loosely hanging around his neck and he didn’t seem so excited. The pink haired guessed it was about the fact that Slytherin would surely win, but he couldn’t be completely certain.

Once both teams were inside the pitch, Madam Hooch made the two captains shake their hands - Kihyun and Robert narrowed their eyes at each other - and said a few words to remind them of the rules and how she wanted a clean game. They never cheated in all those years but she had the habit of doing it due to past experiences. After that, she opened the box that was resting on the grass to let the Snitch and the two Bludgers out. She then threw the Quaffle up in the air and blew her whistle to let them start. Kihyun stayed still until he made sure Hollie caught the Quaffle and he flew away to find that golden sparkle he saw every time he found the Snitch. Minhyuk was doing the same thing and they were constantly glancing at each other not to lose the opportunity once the Snitch was seen.

“And Hollie Bloom throws the Quaffle” the commentator Alexander Wollett - from Hufflepuff - said. “And she scores!” he yelled, not wishing to have preferences in between the two teams but the truth was he liked Gryffindor more. “Nathaniel got confused with her ingenious shot and couldn’t stop the Quaffle” he added not to be boring for the other students though Kihyun knew he didn’t like commenting. Alexander was only replacing Lee Minhyuk, Gryffindor’s Seeker. “The Quaffle is caught by Jooheon but he lets go of it after almost being hit by Hyungwon’s Bludger... Jooheon, don’t be such a coward!” he sighed while all the Gryffindor students complained. As always, Professor McGonagall had to scold him for that and the boy apologized before going on with his unamused comments.

Kihyun was still trying to find the Snitch but there was no trace of it. Minhyuk seemed to be in the same state and they were both flying higher and higher. The pink haired was also taking a few glances at his team from time to time, making sure they were doing the tactics well. He didn’t need to worry, Slytherin was winning with 50 points above Gryffindor. The latter still had zero points and Kihyun relaxed, focusing only in his task of finding that golden sparkle.

“Yes!! Samuel Brown scores!” Alexander yelled and the pink haired sighed, lowering himself a bit. “Ethan Yard seemed to be distracted so I must say: thank you, Ethan!” that pissed the Slytherin team off and they all became even fiercer.

“Focus, Ethan!” Kihyun scolded him but a golden sparkle called his attention and he realized the Snitch was not far from there. He turned his broom in the tiny ball’s direction and started chasing after it. Minhyuk automatically saw him, flying in the speed of light to reach for him. Kihyun knew Minhyuk wasn’t soft when it came to fight for the golden Snitch. The pink haired felt the other pushing him and he pushed back, not tearing his gaze away from the tiny ball. He couldn’t hear Alexander anymore, he was too focused on his task to even notice all the scores his team was achieving. Apparently, being mad at Alexander for his comments gave them more wishes to win and they managed to reach 110 points within 15 minutes. Lottie, Olivia and Hollie passed the Quaffle, confusing Oliver and Samuel to the point they got dizzy and Jooheon was being chased by Hyungwon, who couldn’t stop laughing while he repeatedly sent a Bludger after Jooheon. Robert and Ava - Gryffindor’s Beaters - constantly tried to hit Ethan with their Bludgers and Kihyun lowered his head when one of them almost hit him. Minhyuk didn’t have much luck though, he was hit on the face by it and the pink haired saw his nose bleeding as he fell on the grass.

Kihyun flew faster than before, dodging players and Bludgers while he stretched his arm. The Snitch seemed to be having fun flying around and it didn’t stop doing dangerous turns to lose Kihyun. After a few more attempts, he caught it, making Slytherin win the first match. He was proud of his team so he hugged them all when they touch the ground. They ended 120 points above Gryffindor and catching the Snitch gave them 150 more points. They were confident; they would surely win the Quidditch Cup that year and Ravenclaw wouldn’t make fun of them for losing. “Well done everyone!” Kihyun told his team, patting their backs with a proud smile.

They all went to change after that but the pink haired stayed there. Changkyun and Belle were trying to comfort Jooheon and Robert, making them believe Gryffindor wasn’t that bad. Belle kissed Jooheon’s lips and hugged him tightly while he cried like a baby and Robert talked to Changkyun about the match. Kihyun stared at the black haired and looked away when their eyes met. He didn’t know how to stop his heart from beating fast and he was embarrassed about what happened in The Great Hall. Kihyun pretended he was tying up his shoe and he got surprised when he saw Changkyun’s feet in front of his face. __‘Damn it, I don’t have my wand here’__  he thought, remembering he left it inside his locker.

“Congratulations” the black haired said, surprising him even more and making him stand up. Changkyun was flashing him a toothless smile and he didn’t know how to react at that. “Your team was amazing and I assume you were the responsible for that so... congrats” he continued, becoming uneasy at the lack of response.

“Um... I” Kihyun stuttered. __‘Tell him you already know and call him mudblood’__  he thought, opening his mouth to talk again. “I... you... I mean, thank you” he surely looked stupid blabbering in front of the person he always confronted but he couldn’t say the words he wanted to say when those eyes stared at him that way. Why did he look so harmless and soft like a puppy? Kihyun felt his face hot and red and he couldn’t help it.

“You’re welcome” Changkyun grinned and left, joining Robert not to leave him alone being the third wheel with the other two. “Don’t lower your guard, Yoo” Changkyun imitated the pink haired and Belle stared at them in curiosity. “You’ve seen our team” he added and circled an arm around Jooheon to then drag them to the dressing rooms. Kihyun was left their alone in the middle of the pitch, wondering if he was under the effects of some powerful spell that made him hate Changkyun less each day.


	6. Sneaking around

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy!! ^^  
> Thank you for reading!

After the Quidditch match, Kihyun made sure to throw a curse at Changkyun every time he saw him around the castle. He couldn’t accept the fact that the black haired didn’t treat him badly anymore so he decided to do what he knew best: fight him. Changkyun thankfully fought back but he didn’t do it with his usual glare, he seemed to enjoy it and he laughed. He even told McGonagall they were just practicing nonverbal spells once she saw them. Kihyun was feeling so confused all the time and the Bloom sisters winked at him when he looked troubled. They were hanging out with Belle a lot, mostly when they had to patrol the corridors and Kihyun couldn’t complain anymore about it. Hyungwon was softer around Changkyun and he hugged him every time he could. The pink haired perceived his discomfort at first but after one week of Hyungwon almost stalking him in class, he got used to it and didn’t care anymore.

That Monday morning, he was in the Library with his three friends while Changkyun and Belle were in their Ancient Runes class. Kihyun was too immersed in his thoughts to pay attention to his Defense Against the Dark Arts homework and he couldn’t get distracted because he had to hand it in half an hour. Hyungwon was sleeping on his parchment, he finished his homework the night before and he was free to do whatever he wanted to. On the other hand, the Bloom sisters were reading and re-reading their Dementors redaction to make sure it was perfect. Professor Kim made them practice their nonverbal spells last class and started with his Dementors explanation after that. They practiced resisting the Imperious Curse one class and they practiced nonverbal spells the next one while Professor Kim taught them about different creatures. The Dementors were first and he would teach them the Patronus Charm before teaching them about the Inferi. Kihyun was excited, he loved Defense Against the Dark Arts, it was his favorite subject together with Care of Magical Creatures.

In Kihyun’s opinion, every class was extremely interesting that year. Even if he loved his classes every year, he thought sixth year was incredible. He could tell other students were thinking the same thing, even if they complained about the great amount of work. At least they didn’t have important exams that year, they were only preparing for their N.E.W.T exams that would be held in their seventh year. Kihyun wasn’t worried, he knew he would have excellent results. __‘Changkyun too’__  he thought and he realized his mind betrayed him again. “Oh, shut up” he whispered to himself and no one heard him because they were too busy.

Kihyun tried his best not to think about anything that could be related to Changkyun but it was impossible. Changkyun was always working with him in class, Changkyun was there with his friends, Changkyun was at the Great Hall every time they ate just like every student and Kihyun couldn’t take his eyes off of him. __‘Why?’__  he asked himself, intertwining his fingers with his pink hair in frustration. Thankfully, he could get back to his redaction about Dementors and he kind of forgot about Changkyun - kind of - until they had to head downstairs to their Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom.

As always, Changkyun and Belle got there a later than everyone. The Bloom sisters waved their hands at them and they greeted back while they joined Jooheon and Robert. Belle kissed Jooheon’s lips, letting go once Professor Kim appeared from the stairs, slowly walking to the classroom. He had that familiar unreadable expression on his face and he stood by the door, waiting for the students to hand their parchments. Once everyone got in, he closed the door and headed to the front. “Good morning” he said in his low voice and everyone answered. “Today, we’ll learn the Patronus Charm” the students started clapping and yelling in excitement but Professor Jongwoon shut them up. “I know you were all waiting for this but we’ll do it quietly” he kind of scolded them - he had a peculiar way of doing it -. “Let’s move the tables aside” he ordered and everyone complied.

Once the space was free from wooden tables and chairs, Professor Kim fixated his eyes on them. It was kind of intimidating and awkward to look him in the eye; everyone tried to avoid any eye contact. Kihyun waited for him to speak again and he told the students how to move their wand. Everyone started doing it and then their professor asked them to pronounce ‘ _ _Expecto Patronum__ ’. They all practiced the movement and the spell until Kim Jongwoon motioned with his hand for them to stop. “Now think about a happy memory, concentrate in that moment with all your strength and repeat what we were practicing until now” he commanded and the students stayed in silence, searching for a good memory to use. Kihyun couldn’t decide, he had so many happy moments in his mind and he needed to pick one before Changkyun managed to do the Patronus Charm first. He chose the day he received his letter from Hogwarts - he was sure many of them chose that moment - and tried the spell. As if in slow motion, he saw his own Patronus Charm work at the same time Changkyun’s Patronus Charm worked. From his wand, a mouse came out and started running around the classroom. It didn’t last long because he got distracted with Changkyun’s imposing wolf and he felt a little embarrassed. It wasn’t fair, his animal wasn’t as cool as Changkyun’s and they couldn’t pick - they had to be very powerful wizards to choose their Patronus -. “Impressive, you two” Professor Kim clapped lowly, almost soundlessly. “You’ll become excellent Aurors” he added and Changkyun’s wide smile made Kihyun’s heart race. __‘What on Earth is wrong with me?!’__  the Slytherin student thought and tried to pretend nothing happened while he thanked their professor. “Don’t panic if you don’t see any form in your Patronus, it can be uncorporeal too” he explained just in case someone didn’t know. “Corporeal Patronus are very hard to achieve and you have two brilliant classmates here, I’m very impressed Mr.Yoo and Mr.Im. I’ll give Ravenclaw and Slytherin 20 points” he said and the students from both houses clapped in excitement.

Changkyun hi-fived with Belle and they both chuckled happily before going on with their practice. Kihyun was happy about his achievement and he saw their Slytherin classmates’ grins. All of them achieved the uncorporeal Patronus in the end - even Fergus - and Professor Kim gave them homework as always. “You know, students of mine” he creepily said - Kim Jongwoon was always creepy in the pink haired’s opinion -. “The Patronus Charm is effective against Dementors but there’s another creature we could defend ourselves from with a Patronus” he went on with his speech, playing with the long sleeves of his dark green robe. “For next class, I want you to search for it in our book or maybe in the Library if you need to, and write a 1 meter parchment about it” he flashed them what looked like a smile. “You’ll do it in couples and I’ll choose them- No complaints! I don’t want to hear a fly when I’m calling your names” he raised his voice and Kihyun knew he was trying to yell but his voice was so low it was impossible for it to happen. “I’ll choose the obvious first” he pointed at Changkyun and Kihyun without saying their names. “You know, McGonagall’s orders” Professor Kim, as always, enjoyed pairing them together and all because of their abilities. “Okay, let’s see... Mr. Baddeley with Mr. Keedy” their professor said and Fergus smiled in joy. Trevor Keedy was a brilliant Gryffindor student and Fergus was... well, let’s say a not so brilliant Slytherin student. “Mrs. Bloom and Mrs. Bloom. Yes, I’ll be a good professor this time” Professor Kim made the two sisters get happy. “Mrs. Campbell with Mr. Lee” the couple intertwined their fingers, staring at each other with hearts in their eyes. Robert wasn’t that happy though, he ended up with Hyungwon and they didn’t like each other much.

“Professor” Robert raised his hand. “Can’t I change with Kihyun?” but Kim Jongwoon’s neutral expression and the way he ignored the Gryffindor student told him he shouldn’t have asked that. The elder called more names and joined more couples until he was done. He let them leave the classroom and Kihyun started walking fast in The Great Hall’s direction with his three friends following behind. He clearly heard Changkyun’s voice calling his name but he decided to pretend he was deaf until the Ravenclaw gave up.

They all had a good lunch with their circle of friends and then the Bloom sisters headed to the Common Room to start their Herbology homework. Hyungwon went to Robert and told him they should search for the creature Professor Kim mentioned in class and Belle was too busy dragging Jooheon to the courtyard. Kihyun saw Changkyun following the couple and had the brilliant idea of spending their short break outside at the Grounds of Hogwarts. The pink haired remembered the tree he used as a backrest that Sunday he drew the Quidditch pitch and how relaxing that place was. Not many students liked resting against the Dark Forest trees, even if they were placed over the forest’s edges. Kihyun walked through the grass and automatically regretted his decision. The breeze was colder than two weeks ago but he didn’t want to go back. The pink haired pulled his scarf up his nose and closed his black and green robe as much as he could. When he reached his destiny, he sat on the floor and rested his back against the tree, covering his entire body perfectly.

“I know you are trying to avoid me but you don’t need to freeze to death to do it” Changkyun’s voice came from his side and he sighed, finding the situation irritating. How did he find him? The Ravenclaw student was following Belle and Jooheon to the Courtyard minutes ago. “Don’t worry, I won’t fight” the black haired assured, slowly sitting in front of Kihyun, on the grass. “I just wanted to know when are we doing our homework” he flashed him a toothless grin and Kihyun couldn’t believe his heart was betraying him again. “I was thinking we could use our break on Wednesday, what do you say?” he asked nicely.

“Bloody hell” Kihyun cursed under his breath; mostly to his racing heart than to Changkyun. “Why on Earth are you being so nice to me? Are you trying to make me lower my guard?” the pink haired couldn’t contain himself anymore - as always - and said what he needed to say, not caring about the Ravenclaw student getting mad. If he had to do that essay alone, he would do it in an hour.

Changkyun sighed, looking away in frustration. “I’m just trying, okay?” exasperation evident in his deep, manly voice. “We are 16 and we still fight like two kids” he turned to look at Kihyun once again. “And I’m bloody tired of being hanged from my ankle every time I get distracted” he said and the pink haired got surprised. “Aren’t you tired?” he asked and Kihyun shook his head, earning a long sigh from Changkyun. “Can’t we just stop for a week and do our homework right? I have the first Quidditch match against Hufflepuff this weekend and I seriously need a break from those curses” he begged and Kihyun liked to have him begging. __‘I knew you were weaker than me’__  the Slytherin student thought and smiled at his companion, stretching his pinkie to make a promise.

“Since you are begging, I promise I won’t curse you this week” Changkyun smiled back and joined their pinkies.

“Deal” he stood up, cleaning his robe that was full of grass in the back. “So, is Wednesday okay with you?” he repeated his question and Kihyun nodded. “How about we meet at the Clock’s Entrance and we find an empty classroom to work, I already know about the creature Professor Kim was talking about so I know it’s in-

“ _ _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them__ ” Kihyun finished his sentence because he also knew that. “I know” he added and Changkyun rolled his eyes.

“I didn’t suggest you didn’t know, I was actually sure you already knew too” the black haired sighed. “Do you want to or not, Kihyun?”

“Yes, it sounds like a good option” the Slytherin student nodded in agreement.

“See you then” Changkyun turned around and left. Kihyun’s heart was still beating fast inside his chest and he was glad the other couldn’t hear it because that would be embarrassing. The pink haired left the Grounds when the cold was too much to handle and he realized their Potions class would start in just 15 minutes. He found his three friends heading to the Dungeons and he followed. Maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea to stop fighting for a few days.

 

Potions class was always a challenge. Changkyun didn’t know if he could fully trust the book’s instructions but he followed them anyway. Professor Slughorn slowly walked through the classroom, nodding his head when they were in a good position and scrunching his nose when someone messed the potion up. That Monday, they had to make a Shrinking Solution and it was not easy. Changkyun read and reread his instructions to be sure he wasn’t in the wrong path but, in the end, he always managed to finish his potions correctly. Slughorn stopped by his and Kihyun’s side - in between the two - and nodded his head, making them both sigh in relieve. The pink haired looked at Changkyun for one second to then turn his head harshly and keep on throwing ingredients to his cauldron. The Ravenclaw student wondered if he felt weird without fighting; he was extremely curious about Kihyun’s thoughts. They never in those six years had an agreement not to fight and the Slytherin student didn’t seem excited. Changkyun, on the other hand, was extremely relaxed since he talked to Kihyun an hour ago and he liked the idea of working peacefully with him.

  1. __Juice two Shrivelfigs and add their ruby blood to your cauldron.__
  2. __Stir slowly.__
  3. __Gently heat your potion.__
  4. __Chop four daisy roots more finely and add to cauldron.__
  5. __Add five hairy caterpillars.__
  6. __Add well-shaken wormwood.__
  7. __Stir vigorously.__
  8. __Juice four leeches and add.__
  9. __Stir slowly and with caution.__
  10. __Shake rat spleen and add to cauldron.__
  11. __Add a splash of cowbane.__
  12. __Stir slowly.__
  13. __Heat on a high temperature.__
  14. __Wave wand in a particular figure.__



Changkyun read once again and smiled. He was already halfway and he liked the way his potion looked inside his cauldron. Belle was doing great too, just like Hyungwon. Lucy, Hollie and Robert were having trouble and Jooheon already gave up. He was sweaty - drenched in sweat - and frustrated, sitting on his bench in a lifeless state Changkyun only saw in their Potions classes. Jooheon usually had a lot of energy but Potions class drained it away. Professor Slughorn shook his head when he stopped by Jooheon’s side and gave them 15 more minutes to finish.

When class ended, Changkyun, Kihyun, Hyungwon and Belle had a perfectly done bright green potion. Trevor Keedy and Son Hyunwoo achieved it too while the others had different solutions inside their cauldrons. Slughorn gave Ravenclaw and Slytherin 20 points while Gryffindor and Hufflepuff got only 10. Their professor wanted to be fair and since two students from Ravenclaw and Slytherin made their potions perfectly, he gave more points to them. “Well done, you six” Professor Slughorn grinned. “You are all dismissed” he added and the students packed their things to then leave the classroom. “I know I already said it a million times, Kihyun, but you were exceptional as a Quidditch captain” Slughorn went closer to their table to talk as usual and he surely had another invitation for them. “Your team was brilliant” he patted Kihyun’s back and Changkyun stared at them while packing his materials. “Hyungwon, you were incredible too!” Professor Horace made sure not to forget his other favorite Slytherin student.

“Thank you, Professor” the pink haired smiled - Hyungwon limited himself to nod with an awkward grin on his face - but changed his expression when Slughorn turned to look at Changkyun and Belle.

“What about you, my two brilliant Ravenclaw players? How is your training going?” Professor Slughorn asked, completely ignoring the fact that Hollie was one of the Chasers of the Slytherin team and she also delivered an amazing performance against Gryffindor.

“It is going great” Belle answered with enthusiasm. “Changkyun is flying like he never did before” she caressed her friend’s arm, confusing him a little. He didn’t understand Belle’s sudden admiration because she never said anything about his flying skills. Changkyun stared at her until he saw the Bloom sisters smiling knowingly and realized it was all about him and Kihyun. The Bloom sisters insisted they should be friends and they told Changkyun how much the pink haired loved to see him fly. The Ravenclaw student wasn’t so comfortable hearing that but he loved Kihyun’s voice and he still believed he had __Veela__  blood - Belle told the sisters about that too, he realized it because Lucy made a joke about it and they hi-fived -. Changkyun was trying his best to be at least okay with him and the three girls encouraged him to do it. __‘I should stop hanging out with girls all day long’__  he thought, feeling a little intimidated by the Bloom sisters. “He caught the Snitch while standing up on his broom last Saturday, Professor, you should have seen that” Belle continued and Changkyun frowned because that never happened. The Bloom sisters muffled their laughter and the black haired realized they were staring at Kihyun. The latter was paler than usual and his eyes were wide. Changkyun automatically understood Belle’s intention. “And he did it again with his head pointing downwards” that wasn’t a lie but he was sure Kihyun could do that too.

“Incredible! You should repeat it on Saturday, my boy” Slughorn seemed proud but Changkyun felt extremely uncomfortable. “All that __skooting__  you do must be helping” Horace Slughorn meant his skating but Changkyun understood and decided to just nod. He wasn’t sure of what to say and his skating wasn’t helping at all because one thing didn’t have anything to do with the other. “Well, as you must know, I have an invitation” he took the decorated pieces of paper out of his pocket but Changkyun got surprised when he saw Christmas written. “But it is not the usual” Professor Slughorn gave the last one to Hyungwon. “I won’t be holding any more parties until Christmas so I hope you come with someone” he smiled brightly at his students. “I assume Miss Campbell will take Mr. Lee” Belle blushed at that. “And I’m sure you three will find a nice girl easily out there” Professor Slughorn made Changkyun chuckle silently. “Well, I won’t bother you anymore, have a nice afternoon” Horace Slughorn turned around and started organizing his own stuff to then leave to his office.

“What was all that?” Changkyun whispered in Belle’s ear when they started walking.

“What was what?” Belle pretended to be innocent and the black haired rolled his eyes in disbelief.

“You three are unbelievable” he shook his head and started going upstairs with Belle, Jooheon and Robert following behind. Changkyun needed to hurry up if he wanted to get on time to his Care of Magical Creatures class. When he finally reached the Grounds he found Kihyun waiting there. __‘What on Earth happened?’__  he thought, frowning the moment the pink haired turned around to look at him.

“It was about time, mudblood” Kihyun started walking by his side, confusing Changkyun even more. “Do you think I can wait for you all day because you decided to take your time to talk with that love-struck friend of yours?” he asked clearly annoyed but the black haired believed he heard him wrong. Was Yoo Kihyun waiting for him? “Answer me, I’m a pure blood and you have to respect me” he started panicking and Changkyun smiled.

“You were waiting for me” the Ravenclaw student saw his companion blushing and trying to deny it. “I guess I have privilege then” he enjoyed seeing Kihyun nervous because he never let other people have power over him. “Because a pure blood is walking me to my next class” he teased, laughing loudly when Kihyun started blabbering about nothing in special. “And that same pure blood is the captain of Slytherin Quidditch team and he’s the best student in Slytherin so I guess you are right, I have privileges” Changkyun made him blush again but he shut up.

“You should consider yourself lucky, mudblood” Kihyun said in a small voice that didn’t sound like him at all. “I couldn’t achieve the Cruciatus Curse yet but I’ll start warning you from this moment” he paused and grabbed the black haired’s tie, going closer to him. “Don’t tease me if you don’t want me to practice the Unforgivable Curses on you! Got it, mudblood?” the Slytherin student was funny in Changkyun’s opinion so he couldn’t help to smile playfully.

“I’m not scared of you” the black haired felt hands pushing him harshly from his chest and Kihyun started walking fast, almost falling face first as the slope was too pronounced. “Hey, wait! You were waiting for me and now you abandon me?” Changkyun followed him with that playful grin on his face. “That’s not fair, I felt like a pure blood for two seconds and now I’m back on being a mudblood” he joked and Kihyun turned around to throw him the Jelly Legs Curse, making him fall on the floor. Changkyun was laughing so hard he couldn’t pronounce the counter-curse. “That’s not fair either! You promised you wouldn’t curse me” he kept on laughing but he finally got rid of the curse. “You pinkie-promised me!” he yelled and Kihyun suddenly stopped.

“You are right” he cursed under his breath and waited for Changkyun. “I hate myself for that” he sighed and slapped the black haired’s nape with strength. Changkyun’s smile dissipated and he glared at Kihyun. “What? You deserved it for being such a prick”

“Fine, I kind of deserved it” Changkyun caressed his nape softly and they shut up as they walked through Hogwarts Grounds. They were late for their class but, as always, Hagrid let it go.

 

 

 

Kihyun felt taken aback as he walked through the castle that afternoon. He was in his Common Room minutes ago talking to his friends and writing his Herbology observations Professor Sprout asked them to do. He was nervous the whole time there and he didn’t say anything to the others when he stood up from the couch and went out of the room with his __Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them__  book in hand. Kihyun made up an excuse because he couldn’t let his friends know he would work with Changkyun in an empty classroom. The Bloom sisters were asking a lot of questions lately and he was doing his best to ignore them. The pink haired hoped they won’t go around the castle with Belle at that moment because they would find them. Kihyun was very ashamed of having to treat Changkyun like a decent human being and he wouldn’t risk his reputation by working in the Library.

When he reached the third floor, he headed to the Clock’s Entrance. __‘I cannot believe I’m wasting my Wednesday afternoon on this’__  he thought, sighing as he spotted Changkyun sitting by the huge door’s frame. The black haired was reading a Muggle book Kihyun never heard about - he never heard about any Muggle book actually - and he saw a tiny note the book’s cover had, written by Changkyun’s mother. His blue scarf was loosely hanging around his neck and his robe wasn’t even closed on top of his school uniform. Kihyun couldn’t believe he wasn’t cold when winter was close already. The Slytherin student had to wear double sweater and close his green and black robe. His own scarf covered half of his face as always and he was hugging his __Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them__  copy so hard he believed it would bend.

Once he reached Changkyun’s side, he stood there, hoping the other would lift his gaze or something. The black strands of hair were covering half of his forehead and he had dark circles under his eyes. Kihyun stared at him awkwardly for a few seconds, not feeling comfortable at the way his heart race and at the lack of response the other was showing. The Slytherin student always wondered how could a person concentrate so much. He managed to throw a curse at him several times because of his deep concentration and he had to thank for that, it gave him advantage. __‘I could use Levicorpus right now’__  he thought, taking out his wand from his pants’ pocket. He pointed it at Changkyun and, the moment he was about to pronounce the spell inside his mind, the boy lifted his gaze. Kihyun quickly hid his wand behind his back, pretending he was innocently standing there. He promised the Ravenclaw student he wouldn’t curse him that week but it was getting difficult. “You were about to curse me, weren’t you? I can see you are hiding your wand, Kihyun, it’s not so hard to notice when you have one hand behind your back” Changkyun said and he sighed, pocketing his wand. “You are unbelievable” the black haired stood up, patting his butt to clean the dust from his robe. “You cannot keep your promise” he shook his head.

“Well, it’s not my fault you have an iron concentration and you look so tempting sitting there” Kihyun said it without thinking and it didn’t sound so good. Why would he say a compliment to Changkyun and then suggest he was tempting in any way? What was wrong with his brain and why was it betraying him all the time lately? “I meant tempting to throw a curse! Erase that smirk” he yelled in frustration and the Ravenclaw student chuckled before starting to walk through the third floor’s corridor. Kihyun followed him closely until he noticed the students’ curious glances and decided it would be good to follow a little farther away. Changkyun turned around from time to time, making sure he wasn’t alone and doing everything in vain.

After a few minutes of walking around the corridors, Changkyun got inside a room Kihyun never saw before. It was empty except for a big portrait of a lady that was placed in the middle of the room. The Ravenclaw student went straight to the painting and pronounced the password, making her open a passage. He climbed the wall to get into that huge square which opened seconds ago and turned around to check on Kihyun. The latter didn’t react because he was surprised Changkyun knew that much about the castle. The pink haired was extremely curious about how he found out about that password. Did he walk around the castle at night in the forbidden hours? Did Belle help him not to get caught? Being a Prefect had a lot of benefits and Kihyun knew that but it wasn’t fair when the Bloom sisters never moved a finger to help him. “Are you coming or not?” the Ravenclaw student brought him back to reality and he nodded, following him.

The room that greeted them was huge, it had four tables and it lead to a green garden. The place had a few benches around and flowers all over the bushes. Kihyun couldn’t stop looking around, finding everything gorgeous and loving Changkyun’s choice. He wouldn’t admit it out loud but, inside his mind, he trusted the Ravenclaw student a little - just a little -. Kihyun slowly stepped into the room, heading to the small garden full of flowers to see everything better. He walked around, smelling the delicious scent that invaded the whole place and thinking maybe that was his favorite part of the castle. Kihyun was so immersed in the scenery he failed to notice Changkyun’s satisfied smile while he rested his shoulder by the door frame.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” the black haired’s deep voice made him jump in surprise. He just nodded and headed back to the empty room Changkyun was in. “If you want to, we can work outside” he proposed but it was too cold for Kihyun’s liking. The latter had an extremely low resistance when it came to cold and he didn’t want to get sick.

“It’s fine, I don’t want to catch a cold” Kihyun answered in a soft tone of voice, not tearing his eyes away from the beautiful scenery. The door was just a frame - Kihyun realized it late because he was too busy admiring the place - and it didn’t keep the wind from coming in but Changkyun picked a table that was behind a stone wall and it helped Kihyun feel warm enough. “How did you find this place?” the pink haired got surprised at how well he was treating his enemy but he couldn’t help it when the other was being nice and taking him to that spectacular place. “And how did you know the password?” he asked a second question and he had more though he decided to wait until the Ravenclaw student answered.

“I found it in my first year actually” Changkyun explained, opening his __Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them__ copy on the right page. It talked about Lethifolds, the creature Professor Kim was talking about last Monday. Kihyun imitated him but opened his book without tearing his gaze away from Changkyun, who opened his mouth to talk again. “I got lost around the castle since Belle left me alone to go to the bathroom” he rolled his eyes as a joke. “And I thought this was the classroom she told me to wait for her in” the Ravenclaw student chuckled. “I was extremely surprised when I found no desks in here and the woman in the portrait started asking me questions” Kihyun nodded, wishing to hear more. “I panicked because I thought she would tell Filch and I ran away” Changkyun giggled. “I came back a year later and talked to her because I was curious” he explained and Kihyun nodded once again. “And she was sad because she couldn’t find her lover around the castle. She told me she had his lover beside her before but Dumbledore changed his location one year and she never saw him again. I helped her find him - she described him to me - and she told me the password” he ended his story with a smile.

“You were lucky to find this” Kihyun looked around, still amazed by the view. “It’s quiet and beautiful” he said, changing his gaze from the scenery to Changkyun. “Unlike you” he couldn’t help adding something like that because he still felt weird talking so calmly to the black haired. They weren’t friends and Kihyun wasn’t supposed to be so nice around him.

“Thanks, that’s what I needed to hear” Changkyun rolled his eyes. “A sweet compliment of yours” he avoided eye contact, starting to read the book. “Look, I think we should start from here since Professor Kim wanted us to explain what a Lethifold is and I thought maybe we could practice nonverbal spells and the Patronus Charm after we finish...” he paused and Kihyun widened his eyes. Did he heard him right? Changkyun, the biggest twat Kihyun knew, wanted to practice spells with him and it didn’t sound like a bad idea to him. They were both the best students at school and practicing together shouldn’t be that bad... if they managed to keep their fighting instincts in. “If you want to...” the Ravenclaw student became nervous at the lack of response.

“It sounds good” Kihyun tried to sound uninterested as he took a piece of parchment from his backpack. Changkyun was doing the same and he stopped midway when he noticed Kihyun was eager to write it.

“You know, Kihyun” the black haired made him raise a brow. “You don’t have such a good handwriting... don’t you want me to write?” Changkyun made him laugh out loud - but it wasn’t an authentic laughter -.

“I see, this is your way of getting revenge for that compliment I said seconds ago” the Slytherin student smiled arrogantly. “Guess what? I won’t let you write” he said and Changkyun stuck his tongue out at him, getting ready to write too. “Are we both going to write? It will be in vain and you know it, mudblood”

“Now I’m a mudblood again” Changkyun sighed in annoyance. “Fine, you write, pure blood master” the black haired left his quill on the wooden table and crossed his arms onto his chest looking like a kid, an adorable and ccc- __‘don’t you dare think that, Yoo Kihyun!’__  he restrained his thoughts before he regretted it and started writing when Changkyun decided to stop pouting like a bloody awful big-nosed kid and finally decided to cooperate.

The afternoon was so productive Kihyun got surprised at how fast they both worked together and how brilliant they both were in everything. The nonverbal spells were easy for them already and they managed to pull off a spectacular Duel in there without saying a word. Kihyun had fun, he had to admit it - only inside his mind -. Changkyun seemed to be having a good time too and they stopped after three hours and after practicing the Patronus Charm they both managed to perfect.

The both students went out of the secret room when Kihyun was shaking violently due to the cold and they started walking together through the portrait’s empty room. The woman waved her hand at them and Changkyun greeted her back. “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow in Charms class” the black haired said before opening the door. “It was a... good! Afternoon” Changkyun hesitated when he pronounced those words; his deep voice turned a little higher and cc- __‘don’t you dare!’__  Kihyun stopped his thoughts again. __‘His voice is not cute- Goddammit!’__  he was having an inner fight and he limited himself to just nod and leave before Changkyun, scared he could hear his thoughts.

 

“Where were you?” Lucy asked when they were having dinner at The Great Hall. The Slytherin table was full of students and he saw Fergus very interested in their conversation. Kihyun pointed at him with his wand and made him turn around to keep on talking to Leo.

“I was with Hagrid because he asked me for help on Monday” he quickly lied and the Bloom sisters had those knowing smiles on their faces once again. “Oh, Lucy” he called to distract them a little. “Or Hollie” he added when he realized it didn’t matter that much who went with him to Slughorn’s Christmas party. “Do you want to go with me to Slughorn’s Christmas party?” he asked and Lucy pointed to Hollie.

“I’ll go” the minutes older girl flashed him a toothless smile.

“Lucy, go with me” Hyungwon spoke for the first time since they sat there.

“Mm... let me think about it” Lucy pretended she didn’t want to so Hyungwon panicked. “Okay, I’ll do it” Kihyun stared at them and then turned to look at Belle and Jooheon, who were kissing, and then back to Hyungwon and Lucy. __‘No, I clearly don’t want them to end up together like those two’__  he thought, imagining them kissing and scrunching his nose in disgust.

 

 

“Where were you this afternoon, Changkyunnie?” Robert asked out of nowhere when they headed back to their respective Towers. Jooheon and Belle didn’t let go for a second that night so Changkyun couldn’t tell his best friend about his time with Kihyun.

“I was with Kihyun” the black haired answered, not feeling ashamed at all. Professor Kim assigned them to do their homework together and that was all. __‘If Kihyun doesn’t sing, I’ll be fine’__  he thought. “We finished our Defense Against the Dark Arts homework and we practiced nonverbal spells” Belle suddenly stopped kissing Jooheon to pay attention. “It was fun and productive” he smiled reassuringly to let them know he wasn’t using his sarcastic tone. “I didn’t tell Kihyun that, obviously, but it’s what I think” the two males were speechless because they didn’t know anything about him seeing Kihyun.

“I’m so happy you are finally getting along!” Belle yelled.

“We aren’t... he’s the same prick but he promised not to throw curses on me this week” Changkyun said it without thinking and Belle’s eyes widened. “I told him I had the Quidditch match against Hufflepuff and- What?” Belle was smiling brighter than even while Jooheon and Robert stared at him with their confused expressions. “Oh no, don’t you dare telling Hollie and Lucy! Promise me you won’t” Changkyun begged she didn’t do it because it would be the end of him.

“Don’t worry, my mouth is sealed” she said but the black haired didn’t believe her; she became another Bloom those last weeks and Changkyun knew they told everything to each other. “Bye, Heony~” she stopped midway and kissed Jooheon. “Bye, Robert” she waved her hand and Changkyun did the same, not saying anything before following the girl to The Ravenclaw Tower.


	7. You laughed!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally getting somewhere! :P  
> I hope you enjoy this chapter ^^  
> Thank you for reading <3

After their afternoon together, Kihyun didn’t know how to treat Changkyun. The latter seemed more comfortable around him and he even waved his hand when they arrived at Charms class on Thursday morning. Kihyun was trying to hide the fact that he went to an empty room with Changkyun to work and also practiced spells as if they were friends. He didn’t like sharing those kind of stories with the others and the Ravenclaw student got his message after he flashed him his most terrifying glare. The pink haired knew he promised not to curse Changkyun but he didn’t say anything about treating him nicely. He was still a filthy mudblood for him and that wouldn’t change. Kihyun hated his confused heart at that moment and he read lots of books to see if he could live without it. Maybe it would be better not to have a heart if said heart didn’t work well. Racing every time he saw his enemy wasn’t something normal and Kihyun had to turn around to make it stop. Why did Changkyun have to ruin everything by telling him he loved his voice? Before that, his heart was completely fine and that knobhead had to ruin everything as always.

After searching for a solution to take out his heart in every possible book - he spent his whole Friday afternoon inside the Library and even went into the restricted section - he gave up and changed his plan. __‘What if I murder Changkyun instead?’__  he thought while walking to the second Quidditch match of the year. All the students were heading to the pitch and Kihyun was absentmindedly following his friends while he thought about using the Killing Curse on Changkyun. __‘I’m going mental’__  he shook his head, leaving his idea of killing Changkyun aside. __‘I could just avoid Changkyun’__  his mind wouldn’t stop processing and, for a second, he considered going to the Common Room and not watching the match. Seeing Changkyun fly while Lucy and Hollie were by his side didn’t seem like a good idea. The two of them were wearing Belle’s blue scarfs on top of their green ones from Slytherin and Hyungwon wanted one too because he had only a blue flag to cheer for them. Kihyun didn’t like cheering anyone and much less if it wasn’t Slytherin so he didn’t take anything, just his uniform and two scarfs to cover himself from the cold.

When they were about to reach the Quidditch pitch, Changkyun passed through the crowd of people running. Kihyun stared at him in confusion and Hyungwon started following him. Seeing the tall one running was unusual and weird. Hyungwon was lazy and he didn’t like doing anything that required physical effort - only Quidditch -. The Slytherin student stopped the Ravenclaw Seeker and pointed at his scarf. Kihyun rolled his eyes at the scene and saw Changkyun laughing before giving the scarf to Hyungwon. Changkyun laughing: the thing the pink haired hated the most in the entire world. Why did he have those sloppy teeth? Didn’t he want to fix them? And the thing that annoyed Kihyun the most was his own heart, once again betraying him. The Ravenclaw Seeker patted Hyungwon’s arm and left, running like crazy to the dressing room. He had his broom in his hand and Kihyun wondered why didn’t he use it instead of running like an idiot.

Hyungwon waited for them until they reached his side and showed Lucy the blue scarf he was holding with a smile. “Throw that before you get sick” Kihyun said and the two sisters rolled their eyes. Hyungwon ignored his comment and circled his neck with the blue scarf, walking to the pitch with a grin on his face. Kihyun ignored them until they finally reached their seats. They were up front because the Bloom sisters and Hyungwon insisted but Kihyun wanted to disappear. He would be able to see Changkyun better from there and he wasn’t in the mood to deal with his confused heart. __‘He’s a bad Seeker’__  he thought, trying to convince himself. Everyone cheering around him made him feel sick and wish to be inside his Common Room, studying Transfiguration in silence.

Minutes later, the Hufflepuff team appeared, wearing their blinding yellow robes. They showed a clean performance around the pitch and Kihyun saw Hoseok waving his hand at some admirers he had. Shin Hoseok was the captain of the team and also a Chaser. He called women’s attention with his muscular body but he wasn’t that good at playing - in Kihyun’s opinion -. The pink haired believed he should stay in the art room instead of showing himself around the Quidditch pitch. However, Kihyun liked Hoseok’s decisions, his team was good. Robert was the one who chose his friends over talented Gryffindor students and Kihyun didn’t like that. There was a reason he kicked Lucy Bloom out of his team, even if she complained for months.

The Ravenclaw team appeared after Hufflepuff and it was a big difference. Kihyun didn’t want to admit it - like always - but Alana was a genius like him. The girl chose spectacular players, each one with amazing individual skills. As they flew around the pitch, they showed their talent but Kihyun’s eyes were - once again - fixated in one particular person. Changkyun’s blue robe moved with the cold wind and it looked so ethereal and delicate. __‘Oh, shut up, Kihyun’__  he told himself and looked away, only to find the Bloom sisters raising their eyebrows twice at him. __‘Bad idea’__  he thought, turning to look front once more. He preferred avoiding the Bloom sisters instead of a clueless Changkyun that didn’t know he was hypnotized by his talent. The Ravenclaw Seeker made a dangerous trick in unison with Alana and Kihyun tried not to show how impressed he was. __‘I can do that too’__  he thought, and it was true, but he was still amazed because Changkyun did it differently. __‘It is surely because of his toothpick like body’__  he crossed his arms over his chest, annoyed not only with his heart but with his mind too.

“Having an inner fight, Kihyunnie?” Lucy asked, making him blush. How did they know everything? They were too young to use Legilimency.

“What are you talking about? I’m not having an inner fight I’m just thinking how much I hate to see Ravenclaw playing” the pink haired lied, turning back to the game not to show his blush. Lucy and Hollie let him be after that and the match begun. Lee Minhyuk was back in his commentator position and he wouldn’t shut up for a second. Kihyun wanted to punch his face because he said nothing good about the two teams. Even if he didn’t like Hufflepuff nor Ravenclaw, he hated commentators with all his might.

The two teams were having a hard time scoring because their two Keepers were good. Kihyun loved going against Gryffindor first because it was easy to win but he knew Hufflepuff wasn’t like that, even if Ravenclaw was way better. Hoseok was strong and Hyunwoo too - he was also a Chaser - and they stopped Belle twice, even if she was fast. After a while Ravenclaw had 100 points and Hufflepuff 70. The match was taking longer than they believed it would and Kihyun quickly searched for Changkyun with his eyes. The latter wasn’t moving, he was looking at his teammates in silence while Noah Miller - Hufflepuff Seeker - flew around to find the golden Snitch. “Changkyun! Move!” Hyungwon yelled, growing impatient. The latter had his blue flag up in the sky and kept on cheering for Ravenclaw.

“It seems Changkyun doesn’t know how to play today” Lee Minhyuk said with a laugh and Kihyun felt the strong wish of slapping Changkyun’s head to make him react. The pink haired was cursing under his breath but he suddenly noticed something: the Snitch. The black haired was staring at the golden Snitch but he wasn’t moving and Kihyun understood his reasons. If Ravenclaw wanted to win the Cup, they had to get more points. Changkyun was waiting for his team to gain more points so they could win the Quidditch Cup. __‘You smart prat’__  Kihyun thought and realized Alana knew exactly what he was doing. She didn’t scold him, not even once. “Maybe a Bludger hit his head before the match” Minhyuk laughed again but McGonagall shushed him - she hated rivalry -.

When Ravenclaw had 190 points, Changkyun flew like the wind and caught the Snitch without any problems, startling Noah big time. Everyone in the Hufflepuff team seemed confused on how he found the Snitch so fast if he wasn’t even trying. Alana was so happy she started doing circular motions around the pitch before finally touching the ground with her feet. Kihyun saw the Ravenclaw team hugging but then felt a hand squeezing his wrist to drag him downstairs. It was Hollie, who followed Lucy and Hyungwon closely. Kihyun knew they wanted to congratulate Changkyun and Belle though he didn’t want to. He remembered how nice Changkyun was when he won against Gryffindor but he wasn’t nice, he couldn’t say nice things to Changkyun.

“Congratulations!” the Bloom sisters yelled happily and went to hug Belle first. Hyungwon, on the other hand, ran to Changkyun, lifting him from the floor. The black haired got extremely surprised when that happened and Kihyun could perceive his awkwardness around Hyungwon.

“Here’s your scarf, thank you” Hyungwon smiled and Changkyun took the scarf, wrapping it loosely around his neck. “You knew what you were doing back there, huh?” the Slytherin tall student said and the black haired nodded.

“Of course I knew what I was doing, I just didn’t want Noah to realize I already saw the Snitch” Changkyun explained and Kihyun sighed.

“Well played, Alana!” Hoseok waved his hand at the captain and she waved back, muttering a shy ‘thanks’ in return. Her long, curly blond hair was tied in a pony tail and she was playing with it while staring at Hoseok. She was one of Hoseok’s admirers but she didn’t like showing it that much - she just didn’t realize she was extremely obvious -.

Kihyun stared at the scene in front of him without knowing what to do. He didn’t want to say anything to them and, the moment Jooheon and Robert lifted Changkyun in the air - with an infiltrated Hyungwon -, he decided it would be a good opportunity to run away. He didn’t do it though, he couldn’t look like a coward.

Changkyun was left on the floor after he announced he was getting dizzy and his eyes were suddenly on Kihyun, who was too petrified to say anything. “Hi” the Ravenclaw student waved his hand at him. “Why are you down here?” he asked and everyone turned to look at them, prepared to grab them if they started fighting again.

“They dragged me” Kihyun simply replied, crossing his arms over his chest and looking away.

“Kihyun meant to say you were brilliant” Hollie said, hi-fiving with her sister as always.

“That’s not true-

“Thanks” Changkyun smiled and turned to talk to his friends, completely ignoring Kihyun’s whims and the Bloom sisters’ satisfied expressions.

 

 

The next morning Changkyun got up early as always but, since it was Sunday, all his classmates were fast asleep on their beds. He silently changed clothes, wearing some jeans with a t-shirt and a sweater under his Ravenclaw robe. He didn’t need to use his uniform that day and he loved changing for at least once a week. He grabbed his thick scarf that was hanging from his bed’s wooden edge and wrapped it loosely around his neck before tiptoeing downstairs - taking his books with him -. The Common Room was completely empty which surprised him. Changkyun hoped it wasn’t that early because he wanted to have breakfast before going to his secret room to study and finish his homework.

The Ravenclaw student walked through Hogwarts corridors and just a few students were around. Changkyun always loved the castle and, even if he enjoyed being with his parents a lot, he couldn’t wait to return. It was scary knowing he only had one more year left and he wished he could stay as a teenager forever so he could go back to Hogwarts every year for the rest of his life. It was silly considering he wanted to become an Auror and it was a fun job but he couldn’t help it; Hogwarts was like his second home and he liked learning more and more.

The Great Hall was full of professors and just a few students having breakfast. He sat alone there and started eating. The large window behind the professors’ table showed how snow started falling and Changkyun knew it would be very cold inside the secret room. The raven haired loved winter, it was his favorite season and he enjoyed the Grounds of Hogwarts covered in white. Changkyun spaced out for a few minutes, thinking about how gorgeous snow was and he remembered about Kihyun’s intense hate for that season. The Slytherin student was shivering all day long in those days and he even wore two or three green scarfs. It was a fun sight to see and he got to make fun of him because of that. Changkyun couldn’t believe how much he knew about Kihyun without intending to. Since they were always searching for something to tease the other, they both knew each other a lot. The black haired wasn’t proud of that months ago but he didn’t care much those last weeks. He knew Kihyun was a prick though he seemed to be seriously trying to change things in between them and Changkyun didn’t mind accepting his friendship if that meant they would stop fighting like idiots.

After the Quidditch match, Ravenclaw went to celebrate to the Common Room like they did every year but Belle made him stay at the Courtyard with Lucy and Hollie. Kihyun and Hyungwon went to the Library to write their Transfiguration essay, making Robert and Jooheon relax. They were getting along with the Bloom sisters but not with the other two Slytherin students. The sisters wouldn’t stop complimenting him at first, making him frown in confusion. Belle was there too and she did a very nice job as a Chaser but the sisters wouldn’t stop congratulating him for his performance. He didn’t understand a thing until they started talking about Kihyun and asking him about their afternoon together. “Was Kihyun mean to you?” the two of them asked in unison - they did it a lot and it was kind of scary - the day before and Changkyun explained how he sometimes said hurtful things that didn’t truly hurt him. “You have to compliment him more, he’ll relax like that” Hollie assured but Lucy had a scary smile on her face and he didn’t know if he should trust them.

“Yes! That seems like a good idea” Belle said while sitting next to her boyfriend, holding his hand and giving him pecks on the cheek from time to time. “I always thought you should be friends” Changkyun looked at her to then turn to look at Robert, searching for someone’s help to change the subject because he didn’t feel comfortable with the three girls pushing him to be Kihyun’s friend. Changkyun hoped his burning stare made his friend react, it was the only thing he could do without being detected.

“Oh! Yes” Robert blurted out after the third attempt of the black haired to make him realize he was seeking for help. “What a nice weather” he added and Changkyun palmed his face. Robert wasn’t obvious, not at all. “Look! It started snowing” the Ravenclaw student tried not to roll his eyes at that.

“So pretty!” Jooheon finally opened his mouth to say the first thing after long minutes of silence. “Don’t you think, baby?” the Gryffindor student pecked Belle’s lips and she started talking about the snow too. The problem were the Bloom sisters who wouldn’t stop smiling knowingly. He tried his best to ignore them - they were sitting next to him after all - and they spent the afternoon talking about different things. Changkyun liked them, they were nice and funny but he hated their complicity. He couldn’t hide anything in front of those two because they realized it in less than two seconds.

That Sunday, he was wishing to be alone and he was thankful he woke up so early. The Great Hall was slowly starting to fill with people and, before he could leave not to see any familiar faces, an owl entered through the huge entrance door. Changkyun recognized it right away, it was his father’s. The animal had a tiny present hanging from its paw and the black haired chuckled when it landed in front of him on the Ravenclaw table. He took the box from the owl and gave it something to eat before it left. Changkyun’s mother had the habit of giving him a present before Christmas and she learned to use his father’s owl. It was silly but he felt thankful with her. He slowly opened the box and found a bracelet with Ravenclaw’s eagle beautifully made in white gold with Sapphires all around it. “Whoa” he muttered to himself and quickly wore it. He then took out a letter that was carefully placed under the present and opened it.

__Dear baby Changkyunnie:_ _

__For this year’s present I thought it would be nice to give you a lucky charm so Ravenclaw wins the Quidditch Cup this year too! I hope you like it and I’m glad you are doing fine in everything. I know sixth year is a little tough but there’s nothing that can stop you! Thank you for those chocolates you sent! Your father never saw them because I ate them all myself... don’t tell him anything..._ _

__I love you_ _

__Mommy_ _

Changkyun giggled after reading his mother’s letter and decided to answer later. He put the tiny box in his pocket - after placing the piece of paper carefully inside it - and stood up, taking his books with him. If he thought the castle was empty, the third floor was like a graveyard. Not even a soul could be seen and he was feeling good about that. He walked to the familiar room where the beautiful woman’s portrait was and opened the wooden door slowly; checking around to make sure no one followed him. Changkyun was looking in the corridor’s direction when he closed the door behind him so he almost had a heart attack the moment he turned around and found a pink haired boy staring back at him with wide eyes. His two green scarfs covered his face up his nose and the Ravenclaw student found it kind of cute.

Changkyun didn’t know what to say, he wasn’t expecting to find anyone there, much less Kihyun. He knew the Slytherin boy loved the place but he never thought he would dare coming back. Usually the other avoided everything Changkyun liked though this room was the exception. “Um... good morning” the black haired flashed him a friendly smile not to scare him. He didn’t mind Kihyun staying with him, it wasn’t like they would curse each other - it was the last day of Kihyun’s promise -.

“I’m sorry, I don’t know what I’m doing here” the pink haired panicked. “I’ll leave” he started walking in the door’s direction but Changkyun grabbed his arm before he could open it. Kihyun’s surprised expression told the Ravenclaw student maybe he made a bad move. The pink haired didn’t like anyone touching him, much less if it was his ‘mudblood’ enemy called Changkyun. The latter let go of his arm but, seeing the other wasn’t moving, he scratched his nape nervously.

“Sorry about that” the black haired apologized, even if he did nothing wrong. “You don’t have to go... I know you like this room and I don’t mind you staying... it’s not like you talk a lot around me” he chuckled but Kihyun stayed still. Changkyun wondered if he accidentally used __Petrificus Totalus__  against him though it wasn’t possible without his wand in hand.

“I” the pink haired finally opened his mouth to speak in a small voice. “I don’t want to” Kihyun hurt Changkyun a little with those words and he didn’t know why. They hated each other, it was perfectly normal he didn’t want to work in the same room as him. It was just that fake hope the Bloom sisters and Belle gave him about being Kihyun’s friend; he hated them so much for it - and he hated Kihyun for having such a gorgeous voice -. “I mean, you found this and you had to work hard to get the password” he added, surprising Changkyun. “It must be frustrating to have your enemy invading something so precious to you” Kihyun bowed slightly. “I promise I won’t come back” he tried to leave again but Changkyun stopped him once more.

“Why do you think that way?” the black haired shook his head in disbelief. “This is not mine, this room belongs to Hogwarts and I don’t mind you using it” Changkyun didn’t let go of Kihyun’s arm this time, afraid he would ran away. “I’m serious! Don’t be such a fool” the Ravenclaw student said and the pink haired was too startled to scold him for the insult he used.

“You don’t mind?”

“Nope”

“Why?”

“Because” Changkyun was done discussing so he started walking in the portrait’s direction, dragging Kihyun with him. Surprisingly, the Slytherin boy didn’t put any resistance and the lady let them in after Changkyun pronounced the password. Once they were in Kihyun moved his arm to make him let go.

“I can walk by myself, thank you very much” the pink haired stuck his tongue out at him and he sighed. Changkyun opted to ignore him and just do his homework outside, even if it was snowing and the floor was turning completely white. He sat on a bench and started reading what Professor Adwell told them to. Changkyun took a quick glance at Kihyun after a few minutes of complete silence and saw him reading in one of the wooden tables. The Ravenclaw student was glad he understood what he meant about being in the same room without bothering each other.

They were there for a while, not saying a word. Changkyun had a strong concentration so he failed to notice Kihyun walking in his direction until he sat by his side on the bench. “I’m sorry” he said; his gaze falling to the books on his lap to avoid looking at Changkyun. “It’s really confusing when you treat me like an actual human being” the Ravenclaw student chuckled.

“I know, don’t worry about it” the black haired kept on reading and he saw Kihyun doing the same. He was surprised he didn’t leave yet but he felt satisfied about it. The Slytherin boy was starting to give up about fighting with him all the time and he liked that. Changkyun didn’t know the reason but he actually felt comfortable studying with Kihyun. The possible explanation he found was that they never tried it before because they hated each other so much they couldn’t be in the same room without practicing curses.

After a while, the pink haired was shivering so much Changkyun suggested they should go inside. Kihyun got up in the speed of light and didn’t wait for the other to sit on one of the wooden tables. Changkyun sat in front of him after looking for his approval and he gave Kihyun his blue scarf. “No, I don’t want it” the pink haired pushed it back to its owner, who rolled his eyes.

“You are freezing, Kihyun” Changkyun wrapped his scarf loosely around his neck again but stood up to take his robe off and place it on top of a shivering Kihyun. The Ravenclaw student received a deadly glare for doing that but he didn’t care, he sat back on his bench and kept on reading, ignoring Kihyun’s growl. The latter stopped shivering and Changkyun couldn’t help to smile; earning another growl from an annoyed Kihyun.

“Hey” the pink haired made him look up. “Can I see that?” he asked, pointing at his bracelet. Changkyun nodded, giving his hand to Kihyun so he could inspect the item. He was very interested in it and he was muttering soft ‘whoa’ as he flipped the Ravenclaw student’s wrist around. “This is so gorgeous” he complimented. “Is it new?” he lifted his gaze to stare at Changkyun’s face.

“Thank you” the black haired grinned. “Yes, my mother gave it to me” he explained and Kihyun’s mouth formed a tiny smile Changkyun almost missed. “She said this is a lucky charm so we win the Quidditch Cup this year too” Kihyun laughed sarcastically at that.

“That won’t happen” the pink haired said. “She’s a Muggle, she doesn’t know how Quidditch works” he added and Changkyun rolled his eyes.

“So what? She doesn’t need to know what Quidditch is to tell me this is a lucky charm” the black haired couldn’t believe he was fighting over nothing in particular once again. “I’m not saying this to make you mad, I was just telling you what she said to me” he sighed.

“You are right” Kihyun turned to look at his book and started reading in silence. “I just don’t get used to this” he made a circle with his hand to point at the whole scene that was happening in between them.

“I know” Changkyun kind of understood but he wanted to change that somehow. They kept on studying and only left the room to have lunch. Kihyun grabbed the neck of his t-shirt before leaving, startling the black haired.

“Don’t mention this to anyone, not even Belle” he said. “Got it?” he asked and Changkyun nodded. “This is yours” he took off the Ravenclaw robe and handed it back to its owner. “Bye” he muttered and left Changkyun behind, walking quickly to lose him.

 

 

 

Snow, snow and more snow. That was all Kihyun could see those days. It was so cold outside he couldn’t even enjoy Care of Magical Creatures anymore and he was thankful their Christmas holiday was near. Hagrid could be seen carrying those huge trees by himself and Kihyun wondered why didn’t the other professors help him. The Great Hall’s ceiling looked exactly like the sky outside, full of white clouds and snowflakes falling from it. That made Kihyun feel as if he was at the Grounds of Hogwarts freezing to death and he hoped they could change that image - even if he knew it wasn’t possible considering that ceiling always showed the outside’s sky -. Kihyun stared at the newly done Christmas decoration while he had breakfast with his friends and thought everything looked beautiful. There were already seven trees around the room and some Christmas ornamentation around the Great Hall’s walls. Professor Flitwick was finishing the last tree but Hagrid was slowly pulling more of them in their direction. They were twelve trees each year and Kihyun knew it wouldn’t be different that year.

The Slytherin friends ate in silence while admiring the huge room and Kihyun’s eyes suddenly spotted Changkyun, sitting by Belle’s side on the Ravenclaw table. The black haired was talking excitedly about something Kihyun couldn’t hear from the distance and Belle laughed when he finished. The pink haired stared at him, thinking about their encounter from two weeks ago and how comfortable and uncomfortable he felt at the same time. It was confusing having Changkyun around being all nice to him. Last Monday, he borrowed Kihyun his winter cloak in Care of Magical Creatures and he accepted it hesitantly. He didn’t like the way that twat treated him because he was slowly starting to think he wasn’t a twat. He was starting to think maybe the both of them judged each other wrongly all those years and he didn’t like that. Throwing curses at each other and insulting each other was fun; he didn’t want that to end but at the same time he felt good the other didn’t hate him anymore. Changkyun was pretty obvious and he seemed to be determined in showing Kihyun he wouldn’t fight anymore. __‘He complimented me’__  he growled, remembering last Thursday in Charms class where Changkyun shamelessly told him how brilliant he was. The thing that bothered Kihyun the most was that the black haired achieved the charm faster and he dared compliment him. __‘Making water appear isn’t exciting in any way’__  he growled, not liking what Professor Flitwick was teaching them lately.

“Kihyunnie” Lucy called his name after she decided that playing with Hyungwon’s hand wasn’t fun anymore. “What are you looking at?” she asked and Kihyun quickly turned around, answering with a casual ‘nothing’ to then start eating again. For a second, he thought Changkyun stared back at him but he wasn’t sure. “Why are you so mysterious lately? You disappeared two weeks ago and you are constantly avoiding our questions” Lucy was making him nervous again and he knew Changkyun didn’t tell Belle about their encounter because the Bloom sisters would be teasing him if that was the case.

“I’m not being mysterious” Kihyun sighed. “I already told you I went to an empty room to study, why is that so hard to believe?” he was annoyed because they didn’t have the rights to know everything he did. Why couldn’t he walk around the castle freely without his friends? It was a coincidence he found Changkyun that morning and, even if he stayed there working with him in the end, it wasn’t an obligation to tell the Bloom sisters about it. Kihyun liked keeping some things to himself and Changkyun was definitely one of those things. __‘Wait, that didn’t sound right’__  the pink haired thought and his blush deepened. He could blame the weather if the other three asked. “Can’t I be alone for a while? I get tired of your faces” he said and the Bloom sisters chuckled. Hyungwon didn’t seem too interested in their conversation so he limited himself in touching Lucy’s robe and eating silently. His dead tired state wasn’t new to them.

“Okay, we won’t ask anymore” Hollie spoke this time. “I’ll just tell you one more thing” she paused and Kihyun’s heart started beating fast due to his nerves. “We saw something while patrolling the corridors” she said and the pink haired was dying inside but he kept his neutral expression. “I leave it to your imagination” she hi-fived with her sister and Kihyun laughed sarcastically.

“You think you can scare me with that? How funny” the pink haired’s heart was about to explode inside his chest and he imagined the three girls standing near the third floor’s secret room, watching the two of them leaving separately not to be seen together. “I spent the whole morning studying and I know you are lying” Kihyun hoped his face wasn’t red anymore because that would be embarrassing considering he was trying to sound superior.

“Think whatever you want, we know what we saw” the Bloom sisters made him wish to disappear but he pretended to be fine and ignored the last words they said.

 

Later that Monday morning Professor Kim arrived to the first floor with his usual dark green robe and let the students in. The Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom became colder those weeks but Professor Jongwoon didn’t seem to notice. He even suggested it would be good to open a window so the white snow came in but all students denied his crazy suggestion. They had to deal with the weather every time they wanted to go out for a while and every time they went to Hogsmeade and Kihyun couldn’t imagine being inside the castle with his winter cloak on. “Okay, for next class - our last before Christmas holiday - you are going to investigate about the Inferi” Professor Kim started assigning their homework even before they started their class. “The pairs are already chosen so you can start whenever you want to - after class of course -” Kim Jongwoon rubbed his palms together before continuing with his commands. “Today we’ll practice resisting the Imperius Curse again” all the students whined and complained because their professor made them do ridiculous things. Kihyun didn’t want to dance like a plonker around the classroom anymore. “I know you don’t like it but your performance until now had been unacceptable and we have to achieve this” he said, not caring about the whole nine months they had ahead after Christmas holiday. “Form a line” he ordered but the students took long to finally comply. No one wanted to be up front and Changkyun ended up there. “What a brave boy, Mr. Im” Professor Kim seemed to be already enjoying their suffering. “Get ready” his low voice echoed around the room because they were all staring at the Ravenclaw boy in silence. “ _ _Imperio!__ ” their professor yelled - spoke a little louder -.

Changkyun didn’t move for a few seconds and Kihyun had a tiny bit of hope. If the black haired achieved it, he would be the next one to do it and he felt suddenly excited to try. All his hope was long gone when the Ravenclaw student bent his body backwards and started walking as if he was possessed or something. Kihyun thought he saw Professor Kim giggling before he ended the Unforgivable Curse and made Changkyun fall on the floor, confused. “Bloody hell, you were scary!” Jooheon yelled but Professor Jongwoon shushed him and let Changkyun try again. It didn’t work the second time either and Kihyun panicked. Professor Kim made Belle believe she was a monkey fighting against other monkeys, he made Hyungwon dance like some kind of weird mantis, he made Lucy make funny faces and Jooheon act like a chicken all around the classroom.

When it was Kihyun’s turn, he took a deep breath, hoping for the worst. __‘You can do it’__  the pink haired encouraged himself and he heard Professor Jongwoon pronouncing the Imperius Curse. Everything went black and he felt a strong joy running through his body. That was the best part of the curse: the victim didn’t suffer. A voice was telling him to sing a kids song and dance to it and he complied at first. He didn’t mind dancing and singing, he felt happy. But, seconds later, he remembered he had to concentrate because he was in class. He suddenly didn’t want to sing nor dance, he just wanted to learn how to stop the Imperius Curse. __‘I don’t want to”__  he thought repeatedly, louder each time. When the classroom returned, his classmates were clapping and his professor was nodding his head in approval. “Well done, Mr. Yoo” Professor Kim said. “30 points for Slytherin” the Slytherin house screamed and jumped around in happiness but Professor Jongwoon shut them up.

“What happened, Mr.Im?” Fergus made fun of Changkyun but the latter ignored him. He didn’t seem mad, he was staring at Kihyun with a toothless smile and he made a thumbs up to him. The pink haired blushed and turned around, feeling his heart beating furiously inside his chest. Kihyun walked to the back where the rest of the students were standing and Leo hi-fived with him. “Impressive” Fergus told him, even if they didn’t like each other at all. “He’s a true brilliant wizard, you should learn from him” he kept on talking and Kihyun felt the strong wish to beat him to a pulp. “You cannot even resist the Imperius Curse-

“You cannot even get the Levitation Charm right, Fergus” Changkyun interrupted his words. “And you are the one making fun of me” he made Belle and Jooheon chuckle. “Kihyun” the black haired turned to look at him and he had to make a big effort not to blush. “That was incredible” he whispered and Kihyun saw Belle and Lucy exchanging knowing glances. Didn’t Changkyun remember they should keep it a secret? He didn’t want everyone to know they weren’t fighting those weeks, it would be embarrassing. “And so is your voice” he added and Kihyun couldn’t help to pinch the side of his body harshly, making him whine in pain.

“Bloody hell” the pink haired cursed in a whisper not to be heard and squeezed Changkyun’s side harsher. “Shut your mouth if you don’t want to die right now” he let go of the Ravenclaw boy and grabbed Hyungwon’s wrist to drag him in between them. “Hug this annoying mudblood” he ordered and Hyungwon complied with a smile. The black haired seemed startled to have a tall Slytherin student suddenly molesting him but he just endured it. Kihyun saw him hugging Hyungwon back and patting his head as if he was some kind of pet. It was funny but he couldn’t stop thinking about Changkyun’s words and how much they affected his heart. Lucy and Belle were still exchanging glances and whispering things behind his back while Hollie remained in the line, waiting to try resisting the curse. It was Trevor’s turn at that moment and he was making jokes on top of one of the wooden tables until Professor Kim stopped him. Hollie followed after him and almost achieved it but she couldn’t resist it for so long.

At the end of the class, they all ran out of the cold classroom. Professor Kim told them they should practice their concentration and it reminded Kihyun about Changkyun’s strong concentration. If resisting the curse consisted purely in concentrating, why wasn’t the black haired achieving it? It was hard to believe he couldn’t do it and Kihyun started suspecting he was doing everything on purpose. __‘He’s been complimenting me a lot lately’__  he thought while walking to the Great Hall to have lunch.

 

When Potions class finished that afternoon, Slughorn reminded them of his party that was that Saturday night. They all stayed there chatting with their professor and, the moment Trevor started telling a boring story about his pure blood family, Kihyun received a tiny note. He stared at it in confusion until he realized it was from Changkyun. He opened it under the wooden table not to be seen and read it.

__See you on Wednesday at the secret room?_ _

__You know, to do our Inferi homework..._ _

__How about 3 o’clock? Since it’s a lot colder outside_ _

Kihyun sighed and turned to look at Changkyun to just nod in response. He didn’t feel like taking out his quill to answer. The black haired flashed him a smile and then, Professor Slughorn let them leave. They were late for Care of Magical Creatures again and they were sure Hagrid wouldn’t have any other choice than to punish them.

 

 

 

Changkyun finished having lunch before Kihyun that Wednesday so he decided it would be good to wait for him inside the secret room. The snow was covering the whole scenery and those gorgeous flowers could not longer be seen. The black haired wondered if they should study in the Library not to catch a cold - mostly Kihyun since he couldn’t stand winter -. He decided to ask him when he arrived in a few minutes but then got stuck in his thoughts. Changkyun had been thinking a lot those weeks and he remembered Belle’s words every single day. “You two have so much in common! Can’t you see it? He’s brilliant in everything like you, he loves Quidditch like you and he’s also a Seeker! His favorite subjects are Defense Against the Dark Arts and Care of Magical Creatures just like yours and you are so hardworking” Belle’s voice echoed inside his head and she was right. Kihyun wasn’t that bad, he just didn’t want to accept they weren’t fighting anymore. Nothing weird considering he was a Slytherin, pure blood student with a huge pride - even bigger than his enormous head -.

Changkyun rested his face on his hand as he kept on swimming in his thoughts, recalling Kihyun’s beautiful voice while he sang in Defense Against the Dark Arts. Why did Professor Kim have to do that again? Didn’t he see how much it affected Changkyun? Why couldn’t he stop listening to him? He was so immersed in his thoughts he didn’t hear Kihyun entering the room. “He has __Veela__  blood, I’m sure of it” he said out loud.

“Who has __Veela__ blood?” the pink haired’s voice startled him and he fell backwards from the bench he was sitting on.

“No one!” Changkyun quickly stood up. “You surprised me” he added, trying to avoid the other issue.

“Didn’t you write 3 o’clock in that pathetic note you sent me?” he asked and Changkyun rolled his eyes. There it was again; Kihyun being extremely proud and arrogant.

“Yes, I wrote 3 o’clock” the Ravenclaw boy motioned for the pink haired to sit and he did it. They immediately started working and Changkyun completely forgot about asking Kihyun if he wanted to change their location. Their homework was done in a few minutes and they were free to do whatever they wished to do. The Ravenclaw student knew the other would leave. He wasn’t that excited and he knew he messed up after telling him his voice was incredible on Monday.

“Do you want to practice that lame charm Professor Flitwick taught us? I’m so bad at it” Kihyun sighed, surprising Changkyun. “What is the point of making water appear? So useless” he complained.

“Well, it must be useful in some situations” Changkyun softly said, trying not to start a discussion. “Let’s practice it” he smiled and Kihyun stood up going outside to do it. They started using __Aguamenti__  all over the place, making puddles of clean water on top of the white snow. Kihyun was already shivering and he sat on a bench when they were finished, closing his winter cloak so it covered his legs and pulling his green scarf up his nose. Changkyun didn’t know what to do but decided to sit by his side after a few seconds of contemplating his options. He didn’t want to receive another harsh pinch from Kihyun but he didn’t think the pink haired would do it with all those clothes covering him.

“Are you returning home for Christmas?” the Slytherin student spoke first.

“Yup... you?”

“Yeah” Kihyun replied and, after a few minutes of silence, they started actually talking like normal people. The pink haired was slowly relaxing and Changkyun liked how well they seemed to match. The black haired had to admit he felt extremely comfortable around Kihyun, even if he let out sassy comments from time to time.

They talked about nothing in particular and Kihyun made him remember about one of his stupid jokes while talking about his cousins. Changkyun didn’t know what came into him when he shamelessly told Kihyun - the king of Slytherin with no sense of humor - his joke as if it was fabulous. Well, he believed it was good but he was sure the pink haired would punch him for it. However, when he finished speaking, Kihyun laughed. It wasn’t a big laugh, just a tiny one he covered with his palm not to let Changkyun notice but he thankfully did.

“You laughed!” the black haired pointed at Kihyun’s face with his index finger, ready to tease him for life.

“I didn’t!” Kihyun tried to deny it but couldn’t stop his laughter from coming out again. The pink haired laughing wasn’t something Changkyun got to see often. It was an authentic laugh, not a sarcastic or an evil one. They both laughed for long minutes until Kihyun regained his composure. “Don’t mention this to anyone, mudblood” he threatened while drying his tears from the corners of his eyes.

“I won’t” Changkyun assured, smiling reassuringly at him. “Think fast” he warned and used __Levicorpus,__ managing to hang Kihyun from his ankle.

“Hey! Come here!” Kihyun yelled and used the Jelly Legs Curse against him as always. They spent a lot of time playing, throwing curses at each other while laughing and making each other fall on the white snow. It wasn’t a good idea considering Kihyun started sneezing the moment they decided to leave. “It’s okay, I won’t get sick” he sneezed again.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you get a cold” Changkyun was a little worried because it was all his fault.

“Don’t- Achoo~ worry” Kihyun sniffed. “I’ll be fine” he added and waved his hand. “It was fun, mudblood” he chuckled. “And I hate you so much for that” he sighed. “Don’t tell anyone! I’m warning you” he threatened one last time. “Bye-Achoo~!” and he closed the wooden door behind him, leaving Changkyun with a wide grin on his face. __‘Belle was right’__  he thought. __‘He isn’t a bad person’__.


	8. Christmas party

“Why do you have a boyfriend?” Changkyun asked Belle while they had breakfast that Friday morning before Transfiguration class. He was feeling depressed because he didn’t have anyone to take to Slughorn’s party and he always went with Belle. The two friends made an agreement about not inviting anyone but Changkyun was sure he would feel lonely and stupid surrounded by ‘couples’. He was laying on the wooden surface of the long table, resting his head on his arm and playing with his new bracelet his mother sent him weeks ago. He totally forgot about Slughorn’s party and he didn’t have time to look for a partner since it was only a day away.

“Don’t be so depressed, we won’t leave you alone” Belle smiled, petting Changkyun’s hair to make him feel better - it didn’t work tho -. “Maybe you can ask Bryony, she likes you” the girl winked at him but he didn’t want to give Bryony fake hope. Changkyun was extremely sure he didn’t like girls, even if he didn’t tell anyone; just Belle. “I know you will never like her back but I’m sure she’ll be jumping around in joy” she said but the black haired wasn’t sure. What if Bryony thought he liked her back? It wasn’t a good idea; besides, Hoseok liked Bryony and he told Changkyun about it in one of their Art classes.

“You know that isn’t a good idea...” Changkyun said, letting out a long sigh. Jooheon interrupted their conversation when he stepped closer to his girlfriend, pecking the side of her face to then sit with her. Robert followed him and slapped Changkyun’s head before sitting too. “Is Hollie available?” he asked and the two boys frowned in confusion, not understanding a thing about their conversation.

“She’s not. She told me Kihyun invited her not to be alone” Belle answered, giving a bite of her food to Jooheon. “And Lucy is going with Hyungwon”

“Yeah, I know” Changkyun sighed again and the two Gryffindor boys stared at each other as if they finally realized what was wrong with their friend. Robert started caressing his back sadly as if he understood his pain and Jooheon seemed to feel guilty for stealing Changkyun’s only option: Belle.

“I get you, mate” Robert spoke in a voice that showed pity. “Girls are difficult” the brunette boy was talking in a funny way and Changkyun couldn’t help to chuckle.

“Hey!” the Ravenclaw boy suddenly sat up with an enthusiastic smile. “I have an idea” Changkyun stared at Robert and the latter started shaking his head while repeating the word ‘no’, louder each time. “Please, Rob! We don’t have to pretend we are together, I can tell Professor Slughorn I don’t have any girl to invite... what’s wrong with taking a friend instead of a date? Besides, Kihyun doesn’t like Hollie and vice-versa... it isn’t fair that they have two girls in their group and we have only one” he tried to convince Robert but he didn’t seem excited.

“You know I hate Slughorn, it’s not about pretending to be your boyfriend or something” Robert was right, he hated Professor Slughorn and he never liked those preferences he had in between his students. Robert wasn’t bad in Potions, he was just... average. That was the main reason Professor Slughorn never remembered his last name, not even in six years. The old man called Robert Mr. Roberts, confusing his name with his last name. He was Robert Symons, not Robert Roberts. Changkyun and Jooheon loved teasing him with that.

“What if...” Changkyun paused, thinking of what to bribe him with. “I do your homework for a week?” he asked but Robert wasn’t that easy.

“For a month” he said. “And after Christmas” he made Changkyun whine.

“Why are you so mean? You are worse than Kihyun!” the black haired whined. “I have double amount of homework only with mine and you want me to do triple amount for an entire month?” Robert nodded. “No deal, I’ll go alone” Changkyun growled and rested his head on the table once again.

“What about Alana? She’s a nice girl and she will surely help you” Jooheon proposed but the black haired wasn’t sure. Alana was his Quidditch captain and she was scary; Changkyun didn’t think he could handle her. “Wait, I have a brilliant idea!” Jooheon yelled. “Invite Bryony, she likes you!” it was the same thing Belle said a few minutes ago and the Ravenclaw student felt everything was a bad taste joke.

“I already suggested it” Belle pecked her boyfriend’s lips while she played with his hand.

“I don’t know why you don’t like her, she’s intelligent and cute” Robert spoke again and Changkyun rolled his eyes. He didn’t want to tell the two Gryffindors he liked men; it didn’t feel right because he didn’t know if they were homophobic.

“I just don’t, okay?” Changkyun sat up, grabbing his books to then stand up. “Why don’t you date her, Robert Roberts?” he made Jooheon laugh with that and left the Ravenclaw table, not wanting to start a fight with Robert. The latter didn’t have the fault but Changkyun was mad at him for not helping. It was a party with food and lots of people, why couldn’t he go just for a while? It wasn’t hard to stand Slughorn for a few hours not to leave him as the third wheel with the other two.

“Hey, mudblood” he heard Kihyun’s voice when he was about to reach the Transfiguration classroom. He was so immersed in his thoughts he failed to notice the pink haired following him in silence. Changkyun turned around and waved his hand at him to greet him. They were in good terms after that fun afternoon but Kihyun didn’t show it when their friends and classmates were around. The Slytherin student treated him wrongly in those cases but then changed his tone of voice when they were completely alone. “Look, I found this in the Library and I think maybe we could add it to our Inferi essay” he had a strange book in his hands and it was opened almost in the middle. “Do you want to read it to make sure it’s okay? I think it will help us win extra points” Kihyun stared back into his eyes and Changkyun felt his heart beating fast inside his chest. The pink haired had some power on him and he still believed his theory of him having __Veela__ blood. Kihyun managed to hypnotize him in a way no one ever did and his soft features looked even better up close. “Hey” Kihyun snapped his fingers. “Are you the- Achoo! Sorry” he sniffed.

“I’m sorry! I was spacing out” Changkyun admitted. “But I heard you!” he said when he saw a deadly glare directed at him. “I think it’s a good idea” he grabbed the book. “I’ll read it and we can go to the Library tomorrow afternoon to finish it” he proposed because he didn’t want Kihyun to get sicker than he already was.

“Why the Library? Don’t you want to go to our- Achoo~! s-secret place?” the pink haired asked but, before Changkyun managed to answer, Kihyun widened his eyes and turned around, pretending they weren’t talking. The black haired didn’t understand until he saw the Bloom sisters and Hyungwon approaching the classroom together with Belle. Jooheon and Robert were there too but didn’t like hanging out with the Slytherin students so they stayed at the back chatting with each other.

“Hey, Changkyunnie, I’m sorry” Robert grabbed his wrist before he could enter the classroom - after Professor Adwell arrived -. “I’ll go and you can do my homework for a week” he smiled but Changkyun grunted, breaking free from his hold. “Hey, come on, don’t be so sensitive! I already apologized” he said though the black haired ignored him, sitting by Belle’s side before Jooheon could. “You are acting like a kid!” Robert yelled, making Professor Adwell scold him. “Fine, go alone” he whispered and Changkyun nodded.

“That’s what I’ll do, thank you for nothing, Mr. Roberts” he turned around and saw Belle trying not to laugh.

“He’ll be fine in a few hours, don’t listen to him” Jooheon told Robert and Changkyun decided to stop fighting because it was pointless. He just wanted to let Robert know he acted like a twat. The Gryffindor boy knew he had a lot of homework to do and he dared asking for an entire month; such a bad friend. Changkyun tried to calm down and remembered Kihyun asked him a question before their friends arrived. He grabbed a piece of parchment and his quill to then write a note.

__Because you caught a cold and I don’t want you to get worse..._ _

He made the piece of parchment fly to Kihyun, who read it under his desk and wrote a quick answer. Changkyun grabbed it and Belle flashed him a knowing smile before he could open it.

__What if we stay in the portrait’s room instead?_ _

That sounded like a good idea and Changkyun stared at Kihyun, nodding in response; too lazy to send the note back with a simple ‘yes’. The pink haired pretended he wasn’t looking at him and turned to the front to listen to the professor. The man was explaining their next task and it didn’t seem easy.

 

 

 

Lucy was petting Hyungwon’s hair while they were doing nothing inside the Common Room. Hollie was reading a book in silence and the two of them were laying on the other couch, talking. Lucy wondered what was Kihyun doing inside the boys bedroom, he said he would go change into comfortable clothes but he left a while ago. “Hollie” Lucy called her sister’s name. “Do you want to follow Kihyun today?” her sister looked at her and smiled, nodding enthusiastically. The two sisters - together with Belle - saw Kihyun walking fast through the third floor’s corridor and they noticed Changkyun walking slower behind him. The three girls were curious and they wouldn’t stop until they found out where they went. Kihyun didn’t want to talk about it and Belle assured Changkyun neither. Lucy was sure Kihyun threatened the Ravenclaw student because he told Belle everything the first time they did their homework together.

Hyungwon was falling asleep on her lap so, the moment Kihyun appeared, Lucy pushed him so he landed on the couch. “I’m going to the Library to get- achoo! some books. See you- achoo! later” Kihyun said and the two sisters wasted no time to stand up and follow him. Hyungwon seemed confused but he laid back down on the leather surface, closing his eyes immediately. The castle was full of students dressed in casual clothes and their respective robes but they were only focusing on the pink haired boy. The Bloom sisters had to hide behind the stone walls of the castle from time to time because Kihyun was extremely paranoid. The gray sweater he was wearing, together with his green scarf, helped the sisters find him back when they lost him in between the crowd of students from different houses.

When they reached the third floor, they crashed against someone and quickly apologized. It was Belle and she seemed to be following Changkyun around. The three of them covered their mouths not to laugh and latched their arms together to then hide behind a stone pillar. “Hi, mudblood” Kihyun said when he saw Changkyun but he didn’t use his usual harsh tone of voice, it was soft and gentle. The three girls looked at each other and Belle let out a low ‘aww’ that made the sisters chuckle. Their three heads were peeking out that huge pillar and other students flashed them confused glances but they didn’t care. They were only focusing in the cute scene in front of them.

“Hi” Changkyun greeted back with a tiny smile on his face and Kihyun suddenly sneezed. “Bloody hell, you caught a strong cold” he took off his blue scarf and tried placing it around Kihyun’s neck but the latter told him it was fine. “I’m sorry, it was my fault” he apologized and the three girls looked at each other, dying in curiosity. “We shouldn’t have done that outside” he said and the three of them dropped their jaws. __‘What did they do?!’__  Lucy thought, trying not to move too much out of excitement.

“Stop apologizing if you don’t want me to use the Cruciatus Curse against you” there was the normal Kihyun, threatening Changkyun like every other day of their lives.

“You don’t even know how to do it” the black haired wasn’t scared - he was never scared of Kihyun, Lucy knew that -. Belle squeezed the two sisters’ hands while giving tiny jumps. She was above the sisters, Lucy was in the middle and Hollie was kneeling on the floor so they stopped Belle not to fall and get discovered by those two lovebirds.

“Are you challenging me, mudblood?” Kihyun grabbed Changkyun’s blue scarf to get him closer and the three girls had to leave their positions to hug and jump in happiness. They always believed those two would end up together but they didn’t think it would be that fast. “Wait, let’s go in before someone see us... and by someone I mean those three devils” Kihyun made Changkyun laugh and they opened the door that was by their side the whole time. The three friends didn’t know that door existed and they wondered what was in there. When the two boys disappeared behind it, they started screaming and hugging and going crazy. Some students stared at them in confusion and others giggled but they didn’t see them at all.

“They are totally dating!” Lucy said when they managed to stop screaming and moving around.

“Yes!” Belle and Hollie replied; the three of them holding happy smiles on their faces. “Why didn’t Changkyunnie tell me? He tells me everything” Belle seemed a bit disappointed but the sisters knew everything was because of Kihyun’s threats.

“Maybe Kihyun threatened him like always” the Bloom sisters said in unison to then hi-five. They had that habit; saying something at the same time and then hi-fiving every time it happened. “What do you think they did outside?” Lucy suddenly asked and the two sisters giggled in a perverted manner that made Belle laugh out loud.

“I don’t think they did what you are thinking, guys” Belle chuckled. “Changkyun is such a virgin” she added and the sisters laughed. “You know, I was doubting Kihyun liked men but now I’m sure he does” she smiled and Lucy rolled her eyes. “And he likes my friend” she had hearts in her eyes.

“He just pretends to be straight but everyone knows he isn’t” Hollie spoke, shaking her head in disbelief. “We should ask Kihyun some questions when he gets back to the Common Room just to make him nervous” she proposed and Lucy laughed evilly.

“I was thinking the same thing!” the slightly younger sister clapped in excitement and the three of them went back to their previous activities. Belle went back to the Great Hall with Jooheon, Lucy went back to pet Hyungwon’s hair in the Slytherin Common Room and Hollie went on with her book in silence.

 

 

 

Changkyun was getting ready for Slughorn’s Christmas party and he couldn’t erase his smile. The Ravenclaw student didn’t care he would go alone anymore and he was not longer mad at Robert. He could only think about Kihyun being all soft around him a few hours ago. Changkyun didn’t know what made the pink haired change his mind but he was happy about it. He never thought he would be able to have a decent conversation with him but he was wrong. Kihyun seemed curious to know more about him and he gladly answered all his questions. Of course he said some sassy things from time to time and kept on threatening him but he didn’t mind. The black haired achieved what he always believed he wouldn’t and he was proud of himself. __‘Maybe this is truly a lucky charm’__  he thought, staring at the bracelet his mother gave him.

When he was done getting dressed in his elegant blue robe, he decided to go downstairs. Belle was there waiting for him by Rowena Ravenclaw’s statue. She had a red, long dress with a gorgeous red ribbon on the back of her head which kept her hair tied up loosely. The dress had long lace sleeves and it looked very elegant. Changkyun knew she did everything for Jooheon and he was sure the latter would love it. “Is it too much?” she asked when Changkyun smiled at her.

“I think you look elegant and beautiful, it’s definitely not too much” the black haired made her grin. “Should we leave?” he said and Belle nodded, dragging him to the entrance door by his hand. The Common Room was full of students already; some of them doing their homework and others searching for books over the wooden bookshelves that surrounded the circular space. Changkyun closed the door behind him and headed upstairs with Belle. Slughorn’s office was on the sixth floor and, as long as they got closer, they could see ornaments hanging all over the walls. The two friends found Slughorn’s favorite students walking in the same direction with their couples and Changkyun spotted Hyungwon and Lucy ahead of them. Hyungwon was wearing a black, dressing robe with a dark green tie while Lucy had a long, black dress with short sleeves and a heart-shaped neck. The Slytherin girl saw them and started waving her hand. The Ravenclaws greeted back and saw Jooheon already waiting by the door in a red, elegant robe which matched perfectly with Belle’s gorgeous dress. “You guys look cute together” Changkyun complimented when they reached Jooheon’s side and Belle intertwined their fingers.

“Thanks” Jooheon smiled proudly and they decided it would be good to go in. Changkyun wondered where Kihyun was but his answer came fast. The pink haired male was inside Slughorn’s office already, standing up next to the table full of delicious food with Hollie by his side. Kihyun was wearing a fully black robe like Hyungwon and Hollie was wearing a long, lilac dress with a heart-shaped neck. It was similar to Lucy’s black dress but it didn’t have sleeves. The girl was talking to Kihyun as if they were criticizing someone and they laughed when they shut up. Slughorn’s office didn’t look the same, the old man always expanded it with a spell and changed the decoration, making it scream Christmas all over. The room had golden ornaments around and some Christmas trees with red and green things hanging from them. There was a huge table full of food in the middle and he had house-elves as waiters. The other professors were there too and they all looked elegant like every year.

“Hi, mudblood” Hollie said in a soft voice when they went closer to them together with Lucy and Hyungwon.

“Um... hi?” Changkyun answered, not sure of the reason behind Hollie calling him mudblood and using that tone of voic- __‘wait a second’__  he thought and quickly turned to look at Belle, who was giggling lowly, almost inaudibly. Kihyun was distracted and he pretended Changkyun didn’t exist. He immediately started talking to Hyungwon, missing completely what Hollie said. The black haired couldn’t believe the three girls followed them. He didn’t mind but he knew Kihyun didn’t like anyone seeing them together. “Belle, we’ll talk after the party” he whispered and his friend nodded. “I can’t believe you three” he pointed at the three girls and rolled his eyes.

“Well, we can’t believe you are hiding from us!” Lucy spoke - whispering not to be heard by Kihyun -.

“I’m not the one you should be discussing that with! Kihyun doesn’t want to, I don’t really care... we are just practicing spells and doing our homework so I don’t see what’s wrong with that” Changkyun explained and the three girls seemed petrified. “I guess Kihyun doesn’t want people talking behind his back about how he started being friends with his Ravenclaw enemy... well, I don’t even know if we are friends, I assumed that but he never told me” he said and the girls stared at each other. Changkyun thought he heard Lucy say ‘they are not dating’ but he wasn’t sure because her voice was extremely low.

“Then, what were you doing outside?” Lucy couldn’t contain herself anymore and the black haired was 100% sure she said ‘they are not dating’.

“We were using nonverbal curses against each other and I made Kihyun fall a lot, that’s why he caught a cold” Changkyun rolled his eyes once again. “And no, Lucy, we are not dating” the Ravenclaw student saw their sad expressions and he decided it would be good to run away from there before they asked more questions. Changkyun turned around and walked with no destiny, watching the decoration as if it was the most beautiful thing on Earth. __‘If they thought we were dating, that means Belle told them I’m gay... or maybe Kihyun is gay too and the Bloom sisters told Belle about that’__  his mind wouldn’t stop processing unnecessary theories instead of focusing in the party and trying to forget about what the girls told him.

Before he could think of anything else, someone circled an arm around his shoulders and he found Jooheon there. “Are you mad at Belle?” he asked. “I didn’t even hear what you four were talking about but she told me she’s sorry” Jooheon was such a whipped boyfriend, he did everything Belle wanted and it was kind of cute.

“I’m not mad at her” Changkyun said. “Why would I be mad at her?” the Ravenclaw boy chuckled. “I’m just running away from them because they are a headache when they are together” he confessed and Jooheon laughed.

“Yeah... bloody annoying” they both sighed at the same time. “I’ll pretend I’m trying to convince you so I can stay a little longer” Jooheon made him chuckle with those words but, before they could start talking about anything else, Professor Slughorn went closer to them. The old man was wearing a light blue robe with some golden details and a silver vest under it with a shirt and a tie matching with his robe.

“Hello, my brilliant boy!” Slughorn patted his back and Changkyun greeted him with a smile. Jooheon shyly waved his hand, not sure if Professor Slughorn would even notice he was there too. “Hello, Mr. Lee” Horace said and Jooheon sighed in relieve. “Are you having a good time?” the two boys nodded, even if they just arrived. “Excellent! I’m making sure everyone is having fun” Professor Slughorn patted their backs. “Go on, I’ll go check on Hyunwoo, he seems bored” he added and left. The two friends stared at their professor until he sat by Son Hyunwoo’s side and started asking him questions. Changkyun then raised his shoulders at Jooheon and the latter chuckled.

“I guess you aren’t the only one without a couple” Jooheon whispered and they both laughed. “I don’t get it though, Hyunwoo seems to be popular around Hufflepuff girls... why didn’t he ask someone?” he was right, the muscular Hufflepuff male was very popular, just like Hoseok. “I say the same about you” Jooheon slapped his arm. “Why didn’t you ask a random girl? You are a brilliant student and I’m sure a lot of girls wanted to come with you” the Gryffindor boy insisted but Changkyun didn’t want to talk about that. He didn’t like girls and inviting a stranger to a party just to have a couple seemed sad and lame to him. What would he talk about with a stranger? He was socially awkward and he only had a small group of friends. Being a good student didn’t make you popular but Jooheon didn’t understand that.

“I thought we were done talking about that” Changkyun sighed. “I don’t feel comfortable with any girl, end of the discussion” the Ravenclaw student said and Jooheon rolled his eyes. Thankfully, Belle walked closer to them and intertwined her fingers with her boyfriend’s, interrupting their talk. “I’m not mad at you” the black haired assured, making Belle smile. The three of them went to the food table and ate something. All the others were chatting and drinking and they did the same, enjoying the party.

Changkyun saw Kihyun around several times but he did nothing to go closer. He knew the Slytherin student didn’t like others seeing them together and there was no way they could hide - unless they went behind the curtains or a Christmas tree -. Belle and Jooheon started kissing at some point of the night and, thankfully, Hyungwon was there to talk to him. The tall one was funny and he also laughed at Changkyun’s silly jokes. They had a good time together but Hyungwon wasn’t there alone and Lucy dragged him somewhere else when she got bored of eating. Changkyun stayed alone once again and he contemplated the door with a strong wish of leaving. He knew no one would notice his absence if he left and he already greeted Professor Slughorn; the old man wouldn’t be disappointed if he didn’t stay till late.

Changkyun slowly walked to the entrance door, trying not to be seen by anyone, and he quickly opened it to then close it behind his back - without any noise -. The sixth floor corridor wasn’t only dark, it was completely empty. “ _ _Lumos__ ” he whispered and a tiny light appeared at the tip of his wand, illuminating the dark place. Changkyun wondered what time it was but it clearly wasn’t early. His steps were careful as he moved in the staircase’s direction and all the portraits hanging from the stone walls showed sleeping forms of different wizards. When he turned to the right to finally reach the stairs, he crashed with someone and they both fell backwards. “Bloody hell!” it was Kihyun’s voice and Changkyun felt relieved he wasn’t Filch. “Mudblood? Is that you?” he asked, getting his illuminated wand extremely close to Changkyun’s face, almost blinding him. “What are you doing here? Were you bored without a couple?” he teased and the black haired chuckled.

They both stood up and cleaned their robes to then stare at each other. “I’m just tired and craving for my bed” Changkyun explained. “Were you going back in?” he asked and Kihyun nodded.

“Yeah, I went to the bathroom because I drank too much butter beer” the pink haired said. “It’s not that I’m having the best time in there” he confessed to then sit on the floor, resting his back on the wall. “Do you want to sit?” he patted the space next to him and Changkyun complied, not having anything better to do. “I don’t know how you do it” Kihyun surprised him with those words.

“How I do what?” Changkyun frowned in confusion, not understanding what he meant.

“How you stand those two making out all day long” the pink haired scrunched his nose. “I don’t want Lucy to ever confess to Hyungwon” he added, making Changkyun laugh. “Don’t tell me you don’t mind because I won’t believe you” Kihyun was staring into his eyes and his face looked funny with the light their wands emitted.

“I don’t mind because Robert is with me at those times” Changkyun said but he truly didn’t mind Jooheon and Belle kissing. They didn’t do it all day - maybe half - and Belle was mostly with Changkyun in their classes, leaving Jooheon with Robert. “Is not such a big deal” he spoke in his deep voice and Kihyun scrunched his nose again.

“I repeat: I hope Lucy never confesses to Hyungwon” Kihyun made him laugh once more and they stayed in silence after that, just staring at the portraits that were hanging in front of them. They didn’t feel uncomfortable when that happened and Changkyun couldn’t explain the reason. They were enemies a few weeks ago and the black haired didn’t know if they could call their relationship a friendship but it felt right. Kihyun turned to stare at him after long minutes and grabbed his hand, uncovering his Ravenclaw bracelet. The pink haired inspected it like the first time he saw it and sighed. “I wish my mom had these kind of ideas for presents” he let go of Changkyun’s hand and stared back at the portraits.

“I guess it’s because my mom is a Muggle and she’s always investigating things about our world” he thought that was the reason his mother had those ideas. She was always asking his dad questions about the Magical world and she made a big effort to understand everything. His father took long to tell her; he did it the day Changkyun received his letter and she thought everything was a joke. His father almost failed to convince her and Changkyun only believed him when he showed them some spells.

“You have a point there” Kihyun interrupted his thoughts. “How did your mom take it? I mean, your father told her he was a wizard at some point, right?” the pink haired never asked that question and Changkyun assumed he didn’t like talking about his enemy’s Muggle mother. He hated Muggles and he hated Changkyun - a few weeks ago - but he seemed to be softening lately.

“She didn’t take it well at first” the black haired played with his wand, flipping it in between his delicate fingers. “I didn’t take it well either” he chuckled. “I thought it was some kind of bad taste joke my father planned” he confessed and saw Kihyun’s jaw dropping. Maybe Kihyun believed Changkyun knew everything from the day he was born - and it would have been good -. “He told us when I received my letter” the black haired stared at his wand while drawing different patterns with it in the air.

“Why so late?” Kihyun asked and their eyes met.

“Maybe he thought I wouldn’t be a wizard and he didn’t want to lose my mom” that was the only rational explanation Changkyun found.

“You think your dad wanted to become a Muggle?” Kihyun couldn’t even imagine something like that but that wasn’t what Changkyun meant. The latter’s father was an Auror; he worked for the Ministry of Magic and the Ravenclaw boy never thought he wanted to resign and become a Muggle. He just thought his father didn’t want his mother to get scared and leave him.

“No, not that. He’s an Auror. I think he didn’t want to scare my mom away” Changkyun simply answered. “What about you? How does it feel to have a pure blood family?” he asked, wishing to know more about his pink haired companion.

“It’s spectacular” Kihyun flashed him a toothless smile. “I learned a lot of things before coming to Hogwarts and I was so excited” he happily talked. “My father is an Auror too and I already knew your father was one... our fathers are friends” Kihyun surprised Changkyun with those words because his father never told him anything about Kihyun’s father. “I’m actually surprised you didn’t know” the pink haired threw his wand up in the air to then catch it.

“My father doesn’t talk much”

“It’s a shame” Kihyun whispered. “You are very talented. Imagine if he taught you things before you turned eleven... you would be in Slytherin” Changkyun frowned at that. What did Slytherin have to do with him being talented? “Because Slytherins are extremely talented and smart” he added. “Like me” he pointed at himself and chuckled. It was a joke, Yoo Kihyun was joking and Im Changkyun was so startled he couldn’t react. The pink haired punched his chest at the lack of reaction, making him whine in pain. “You have no sense of humor” he growled.

“It’s the first time I hear a joke from you! What did you expect?” he yelled and Kihyun covered his mouth with his palm.

“Can you shut up? We are trying to sleep here!” a man sleeping in one of those portraits scolded them and the pink haired stood up.

“I think we should go to sleep. I’ll let Hollie know, wait here” Kihyun said and ran back to Slughorn’s office. Changkyun stayed still, holding his wand loosely in his hand. His smile wouldn’t leave his face but he made sure to erase it once Kihyun came back. “I told her I wasn’t feeling good” he said and dragged Changkyun to the stairs. They walked side by side in silence until they reached the fifth floor where Ravenclaw’s Common Room was. “Well, see you around, mudblood” Kihyun patted his back and left to the Dungeons.

“See you!” Changkyun yelled but he wasn’t sure the pink haired heard him.

 

 

 

After Professor Slughorn’s Christmas party, they had only one week of class before Christmas holiday. Their professors let them practice the spells they already knew because learning something new would have been stupid considering most of them would be two weeks away from Hogwarts. In their Defense Against the Dark Arts class, Professor Kim made them use the nonverbal spells to duel around the classroom. It wasn’t the typical Duelling class though, he divided them in two groups and made them fight against each other. They ended up complaining because Professor Kim put Changkyun and Kihyun in the same team and the other team couldn’t accept defeat. In Ancient Runes class Professor Bathsheda Babbling made them read and then she asked them about their holidays, not feeling the need of working when they were about to leave for vacation in a few days. Professor Slughorn gave them a different venom each and made them create the antidote. It was a mess; only a few students were able to achieve it but he gave them better scores only as a Christmas gift. In Care of Magical Creatures, Hagrid baked some bread rolls - that were hard like rocks - with tea and let them eat while he told them amazing stories of every Magical Creature he had - most of them illegal -.

On Monday, Professor Sprout gave them a break from those dangerous plants and made them write some observations while she showed them what they’d be doing once they were back. It was a relaxing class and all the students thanked her before leaving. Professor Flitwick made them practice the spells they already knew and, just like Professor Kim, they had to do everything nonverbally. All their classes were good except for Transfiguration; Professor Adwell seemed to be in a bad mood every Christmas and he gave them a long essay for homework. The students’ complaints were in vain because he got even angrier and set an exam the first Friday of January after they got back to Hogwarts.

That Sunday, it was the day before Christmas Eve and they were all ready to leave in the Hogwarts Express. The Great Hall was full of students having breakfast with their luggage and they all seemed excited to see their families again. Changkyun was chatting with Belle while Jooheon hugged her. Robert stayed at the Gryffindor table because he was angry at Changkyun and the four Slytherin friends were - like always - talking to each other. Kihyun was back to his ‘avoiding Changkyun’ phase and the black haired wondered how long would he act like that. It was dumb hiding; the three girls already knew it and Hyungwon wouldn’t care. It wasn’t like the whole school would know if they told their friends the truth.

After finishing their breakfast, McGonagall announced the train was already waiting for them at Hogsmeade station. The carriages took them to their destiny and, once they were there, Changkyun felt a hand grabbing his. He turned around, losing his friends in between the crowd of students but, at the same time, finding Kihyun all alone behind him. “Hi” he said in that soft voice Changkyun found so weird and unfamiliar.

“Hey, there” the black haired greeted back and they started walking side by side. No one noticed their proximity because they were too excited to reach the train and Changkyun secretly enjoyed not hiding from anyone. They stayed in silence until they got into one of the wagons and they had to stop to decide what to do. “It will be better to go back to our friends” he sadly said and Kihyun nodded. “Happy holidays, Yoo” he chuckled and the pink haired flashed him a tiny smile before speaking.

“Happy holidays, mudblood” the Slytherin boy offered his hand for Changkyun and he hesitantly shook it. “Tell your mom I want a bracelet like yours” Kihyun joked in front of him for the second time in all those years. Changkyun quickly understood this time and laughed out loud.

“You wish” the black haired saw Kihyun’s small grin before he waved his hand and left; finding his Slytherin friends not far away from there.

 

※

 

The two weeks holiday went by really fast and Kihyun was happy to finally return to Hogwarts. He didn’t know why but his days away from Hogwarts weren’t so fun that year and he missed school. His father returned home late every night and his mother was angry at him for that so it wasn’t pleasant to have them arguing all day long. His cousins couldn’t hang out that much and he was mostly alone inside his huge house, doing Professor Adwell’s essay and practicing spells. Kihyun hated to admit that he missed Duelling with Changkyun; doing it alone was so boring he started yawning every time he tried it. His parents gave him a moving target which looked like a real wizard for Christmas and he practiced with that but the target did nothing. He liked it when the opponent attacked too and he liked it more when the opponent was as brilliant as him. Changkyun was the only one fitting that description so yeah, he missed the Ravenclaw twat he always hated.

“Have a nice trip, darling” Kihyun’s mother said, kissing his cheek. His father had to go to the Ministry of Magic to work and he was glad.

“Thanks, mom” the pink haired smiled at her, quickly running through the barrier separating platform 9 from platform 10 when no Muggles were watching. The Hogwarts express was already there, waiting for all the students to get in before taking off. Kihyun dragged his suitcase with him and climbed into the train, waving his hand at Hyungwon when he saw him. “Hyungwon!” he yelled and the tall one finally realized he was there.

“Oh, hi!” Hyungwon smiled toothlessly and they walked together to one of the free compartments. Lucy and Hollie joined them later and showed off their new clothes. Their parents gave them an entire closet of clothes for Christmas and they were happy about it. Hyungwon received amazing stuff from Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes and Kihyun was suddenly aware of the low quantity of things he received. It didn’t matter but he missed being younger because his parents gave him a thousand gifts, including some sweets and candies.

The pink haired tried not to think too much about it and decided to just talk about his boring weeks. They all had stories to tell and he felt better when Hyungwon told him he stayed at home eating snacks and reading his Quidditch books. They were complaining about their lives when, suddenly, Belle knocked on the glass door. She didn’t wait for permission to slide it open and enthusiastically greeted the Bloom sisters, sitting in between them and motioning with her hand for Changkyun to get in. “Hi” the black haired seemed a bit awkward but he entered the compartment anyway and closed the sliding door behind him. Changkyun hesitated for a few seconds until Hyungwon pulled his wrist, making him land by his side. Kihyun tried not to look at him too much because he needed to pretend but he couldn’t help it when the Ravenclaw boy took 3 presents from his pocket and handed one to each sister and the last one to Hyungwon. __‘Hey, that’s rude’__  he thought, getting angry even if they were supposed to be enemies.

“No present for Kihyun?” Hollie asked, raising her eyebrows twice while opening hers. They were cute Slytherin plushies with their names embroidered and Kihyun felt jealous. __‘I want one! That’s not fair’__  his mind wouldn’t leave him alone and he stayed there in silence with a pout and his arms crossed over his chest.

“W-why... why w-would I buy him something?” Changkyun stuttered and Kihyun stared at him to find him blushing. The pink haired frowned and decided to say something because he felt stupid.

“It’s not like I want his filthy presents” Kihyun said and Changkyun seemed relieved. Maybe he had something for the pink haired but didn’t want to give it in front of everyone. “I’d become a mudblood if I touched one of those disgustingly cute snakes” he growled in annoyance and Hyungwon laughed, placing his plushy on top of Kihyun’s head. “Stop it, Hyungwon!” he yelled and the tall one removed the object, leaving it on his lap to then caress its head as if it was his pet.

 

When they arrived to the castle, Kihyun saw Jooheon and Robert with those same plushies but, instead of a snake, they had lions. He couldn’t help to feel even more jealous and he wanted to punch his own face because that was embarrassing. Why would he feel that way? Changkyun wasn’t his friend and being in good terms didn’t mean he had to give him a Christmas present.

After dinner, he headed to his Common Room, still feeling jealous. He was about to go downstairs when a hand grabbed his wrist, startling him big time. Kihyun turned around, finding Changkyun’s puppy eyes in front of him. His friends didn’t notice he was left behind and the students walking past them didn’t even look in their direction. “Here” the black haired said, taking out a tiny box from his pocket. “Merry Christmas and happy New Year” he smiled and Kihyun was surprised. He was more embarrassed now that he knew Changkyun bought something for him and he slowly opened it. His hands were shaking while he did so and his heart almost exploded when he saw it. It was a bracelet, a Slytherin bracelet with tiny emeralds. It was just like Changkyun’s Ravenclaw one and he couldn’t help to blush. “Y-you don’t like it?” the deep voice interrupted his thoughts and he looked up to then smile.

“I love it!” Kihyun didn’t want to show that side of himself but he had to thank him. Acting like a prick after receiving such an amazing present wasn’t an option; he wasn’t that mean. The pink haired quickly took it out of the delicate box and put it on, staring at it as if it was the most precious thing in the whole world. “Thank you” Kihyun tried his best not to jump at him and hug him; he wasn’t ready for that and he was sure it would be awkward if he did it. “I’m sorry about what I said back at the train...” he apologized because he felt like a twat.

“It’s okay... I imagined you were doing it not to let the others know we are actually in good terms now” Changkyun chuckled. “I remembered you told me you wanted to hide from your friends and I kept your present in my pocket” the black haired smiled. __‘I’ll never tell him I was mad at him and I said those things for real’__  he thought and grinned. “Well... I’m happy you liked it... I’ll go back because Belle must be wondering where I am” he pointed to the back with his thumb. “See you around” he greeted and Kihyun was too damn happy to even say something back. He just waved his hand and stayed there, just standing and staring at his new bracelet.


	9. Couple bracelets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is so damn slow, I know xD I'm sorry about that but I hope you are patient with me :P  
> Thank you for the support and the gorgeous comments! You made me happy <3<3

Kihyun woke up feeling extremely happy that Monday morning. Not only would he be able to start his magic classes again but he also had that gorgeous bracelet circling his wrist; the best Christmas present he ever received. He stared at it for a few seconds, recalling Changkyun’s smile after he said he loved it and he couldn’t help to blush a little. The pink haired knew he was acting stupidly though, as long as no one saw him, he would be alright. Changkyun didn’t seem to judge him whenever he acted soft around him and that made him trust the boy more each day. Maybe being his friend wouldn’t be that bad after all. They both had a mistaken opinion about each other and they were willing to fix that - without anyone knowing -.

He sat up on his bed and looked around. The boys dormitory didn’t seem so dark that morning and he knew it was due his good mood. The dim green lights felt like sunlight to his eyes and he didn’t wait to get up. Hyungwon was sleeping beside him with his curtains closed and the windows of the room showed the bottom of Hogwarts lake. Kihyun stared at the creatures swimming around the deep waters for a few seconds, contemplating if he should leave Hyungwon there or wake him up like every day of their lives. He ended up moving the green and silver curtains aside and slapping Hyungwon’s head with his tiny but heavy hand, making him jump in surprise. “Get up, lazy sod” the pink haired kicked his butt and Hyungwon growled in annoyance. “We need to eat something before Defense Against the Dark Arts, idiot” he added but, seeing no response, he rolled his eyes and left the boys dormitory without saying a word.

The Common Room was almost empty, only a few girls and boys were there chatting or reading. Kihyun saw Hollie reading a sign on the board and he wasted no time to go check on it too. “Hi, Hollie” the pink haired greeted and his friend greeted back, pointing at the sign with a bright smile on her face.

“Look! Apparition class!” Hollie yelled in enthusiasm. “I imagine you’ll do it” she said and Kihyun nodded.

__If you are seventeen years of age, or will turn seventeen on or before the 31st of August next, you are eligible for a twelve-week course of Apparition Lessons from a Ministry of Magic Apparition instructor. Please sign below if you would like to participate._ _

__Cost 12 Galleons._ _

“I’m so gad I already turned 17” Kihyun sighed in relieve, taking his quill out from his backpack to sign with his name. He didn’t realize his bracelet was completely visible while he was doing so and he got extremely surprised when Hollie grabbed his wrist. The girl stared at it, completely amazed by it until the pink haired took his arm away from her. He was about to cover it with his robe but it would be too obvious Changkyun gave it to him if he did that. “Don’t touch me, you know I hate it” he whined, pretending he wasn’t hiding anything.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to” Hollie apologized. “I was just looking at that gorgeous bracelet you have” she tried to grab his arm again but Kihyun lifted it before she could. “Okay, I get it, no touching” she looked at the shinning object with a smile. “Who gave it to you?” she asked and Kihyun quickly invented something.

“My aunt” he lied. “She made it for me” he said with confidence, sounding convincing to Hollie. The bracelet he was wearing went against all his pure blood principles. Firstly, it was made by Muggles; something Kihyun would not accept months ago. And secondly, Changkyun gave it to him for Christmas; other thing that was completely unacceptable for him months ago. Kihyun wondered if he was making a good decision though it didn’t feel wrong, it felt more than right, it felt amazing - and kind of weird at the same time -.

“Your aunt has a very nice taste” Hollie commented and Lucy appeared behind her, looking sleepy. “It looks familiar to me tough... I’ve seen a similar bracelet somewhere... I just cannot recall where...” Hollie crossed her arms on her chest and thought about it. Kihyun’s heart started racing when he heard those words but he pretended nothing happened and raised his shoulders, playing dumb. Lucy frowned, not understanding anything. She rested her chin on her sister’s shoulder and closed her eyes, making a snoring sound. “We are taking Apparition class” Hollie turned around to tell her sister about the class and Kihyun sighed in relieve.

“Yay! I’ll finally be able to go from my bedroom to the dining room without any effort” the slightly younger sister said, making them laugh. Lucy was happy because suffered every time she had to get up from her bed or the sofa. Hollie always told them how much she slept during summer vacation and she made the perfect combination with Hyungwon because he did exactly the same thing - Kihyun still hated the idea of Lucy confessing to Hyungwon though and he was planning to keep it from happening -. The tall one would surely be delighted to hear they’d finally have Apparition class. “Kihyunnie, I just remembered” Lucy interrupted his thoughts - he did not admit he was thinking about Changkyun again but... maybe he was... just maybe -. “How rude of Changkyun not to give you a present... aren’t you mad? You seem to be in a good mood since we got back to the Common Room last night but you were extremely furious at dinner” she was showing that confident smile on her face again and Kihyun did not like that at all. He had to pretend he was still mad but he wasn’t sure if he could trust himself.

“He’s just mudblood trash, he’s lower than a house-elf” the pink haired acted angry though his thoughts were betraying him. __‘He’s a nice person’__  his mind was almost screaming at him and he was scared of the possibility of screwing everything up. He couldn’t let the Bloom sisters know about his recent friendship with his previous Ravenclaw enemy because he knew them. Those two were devils; always sneaking around to mind other people’s business, even if no one called them. “He acted like a prick and he deserves to suffer” his mouth moved but he wasn’t sure what those sounds that were coming out from it were. __‘I should give him something for Christmas too...’__  he thought, keeping his angry face. “And I’m in a good mood because I don’t give a damn about that filthy mudblood! He cannot control me and I’m not wasting my time and my energy in someone like him” he talked more and more, hoping it was convincing enough.

“Wow, that was more than I expected to hear” the sisters talked in unison like many other times. “I don’t think you don’t care about him, I think it affected you more than you wanted to and you are mad at yourself for that” Hollie said to then hi-five with her minutes younger sister. __‘So.Bloody.Annoying’__

“Why do you always have conclusions about everything?! Can’t you think like actual human beings for just an hour or two so I can relax around you?!” Kihyun exploded and the girls showed him those knowing smiles he hated that much. “Oh, shut up! I’ll wait for you at the Great Hall” he sighed in annoyance.

“Oh! I’ll wake Hyungwon up” Lucy said.

“Good luck with that” the pink haired decided there was no point in being mad at those two. “And I still don’t get why girls can go up to the boys dormitory but boys cannot go up to the girls dormitory; it’s absurd” Kihyun shook his head in disbelief.

“Maybe because they don’t trust boys?” Hollie pointed out the obvious. “Wait, I’ll go with you, grumpy man” she added and started following him. “I’m ready and I don’t feel like watching Lucy being all touchy with Hyungwon”

“Hey!” they heard from behind but they didn’t stop walking to the Great Hall.

 

 

 

Changkyun was trying to translate the new Ancient Runes they were learning with Professor Babbling. He had his Runes Dictionary on his desk with a piece of parchment next to it. His head hurt a little and he was thankful his classmates remained silent during those lessons. Not many sixth year students were taking that class; just Belle, Leo from Slytherin, Trevor from Gryffindor, Theodore from Ravenclaw, Bryony and Hyunwoo from Hufflepuff and him. It was one of the quietest times of the day and he enjoyed translating. His hand moved fast, writing the words with his quill. He stopped only to charge it with more ink and Belle did the same, asking him a few questions from time to time. The two friends liked comparing their work to be sure they weren’t mistaken though they almost never had to change anything. Professor Babbling was proud of all her students and she didn’t doubt they would get ‘Outstanding’ in every exam.

“When you finish, you are free to leave, my dears” the woman said, breaking the pleasant silence her students created. Changkyun didn’t even heard her, he was so immersed in his translation nothing got him distracted. It was one of his biggest strengths, his ability of concentration. It was what Kihyun took to his advantage when they fought every day. He could throw a curse at him out loud and he didn’t realize it because he was too concentrated. __‘Why am I thinking about him again?’__  he asked himself, spacing out for two seconds before translating some more Runes. He was almost finished and he would be able to rest for a while with Belle, Jooheon and Robert if he managed to leave the classroom earlier. Changkyun was sure Belle was almost done too. __‘Kihyun never smiled at me like that before... does that mean something?’__  he stopped again, shook his head and kept on writing. “He did laugh in front of me before though...” he said it out loud and everyone stared at him in confusion. Changkyun had been thinking a lot about Kihyun the two weeks he was away from Hogwarts and he even asked his mother where did she buy his bracelet so he could give Kihyun one. It was a good decision but the bad thing was he couldn’t stop recalling that smile. It wasn’t like the pink haired’s usual ones; it was soft, almost shy. His flushed cheeks and his half moon shaped eyes combined perfectly with his white teeth and he looked adorable; something he never imagined. “Weird” he said out loud again, not realizing it.

“What is weird, Changkyun?” Bryony asked and he jumped in surprise, finally turning around to find everyone staring at him.

“What? I didn’t say anything” Changkyun frowned and Bryony chuckled.

“Cute” the Hufflepuff girl smiled at him and he returned to his translation without saying anything, finally completing it. Changkyun and Belle gave their parchments to Professor Babbling at the same time and got up from their chairs. The black haired was about to leave when a hand grabbed his wrist. He became nervous when he found Bryony there, showing her brightest grin to him. Changkyun knew it was better to tell her he was gay but he didn’t know if it was a good idea. What if Bryony got mad at him and told everyone? Kihyun would definitely stop his good treatment towards him if he found out. “Hey, I’ve been contemplating if I should tell you this or not but I came to the conclusion it is now or never” Bryony started and the black haired knew she would confess. __‘Help’__  he thought, turning to look at a confused Belle. The latter waved her hand at him and pointed at the staircase to let him know she would go to the Great Hall to find Jooheon. __‘Bloody hell’__  Changkyun cursed mentally and then looked at Bryony with a convincing smile - or at least he tried -. “I like you” the girl started playing with her short brown locks in nervousness and Changkyun couldn’t find the right words to answer.

“I’m sorry, Bryony” the Ravenclaw boy apologized and saw Bryony shaking her head, assuring everything was okay, that she didn’t mind about it. “I think I like someone else but I know someone who’s crazy about you” Changkyun didn’t know if it was a good idea but he should at least try. “Hoseok is a good boy and I think you should give him a chance” Bryony widened her eyes after hearing his words. “I mean, isn’t he handsome?” he made her laugh a bit and he laughed too - he didn’t know if it was out of nervousness or not -.

“I didn’t know Hoseok liked me” Bryony confessed, making Changkyun feel a bit guilty. Hoseok assured him he already confessed more than once to Bryony but, apparently, everything was a lie.

“I thought he told you” the black haired scratched his nape nervously. “Please don’t tell him anything, he’s killing me if he finds out” Changkyun begged and Bryony nodded with a toothless smile resting on her features.

“Well... I hope you keep on talking to me after hearing my silly confession” the Hufflepuff girl said and Changkyun was feeling better knowing she wasn’t mad at him or something. “I’ll think about what you said about Hoseok... thank you” Bryony patted his shoulder and started walking downstairs, leaving the back haired there with a clouded mind. __‘Why did I say I like someone? I don’t like anyone... or do I?’__  he thought and Kihyun’s smile flooded his mind for a second. Changkyun blinked twice, unable to understand what just happened. It was too much information for one morning and he felt overwhelmed. His headache became stronger and he was unable to move a muscle. __‘D-do... do I like him?’__  he asked inside his mind and he recalled their many friendly encounters. Kihyun wrapped up in green scarves with just his eyes and pink hair visible, Kihyun in his elegant black robe talking to him and joking for the first time in front of him, Kihyun’s face lightening up after he received his bracelet. __‘Why him of all people?’__  he didn’t understand why but at least he was a hundred percent sure he liked the guy he thought he’d never have a decent conversation with.

Changkyun was so immersed in his thoughts he completely forgot he was still standing in front of Classroom 6A and he started running once he checked on his wristwatch. His Defense Against the Dark Arts class was only 10 minutes away and he couldn’t be late. Professor Kim didn’t like anyone arriving after him, even if they were still on time, and Changkyun didn’t want to become his puppet - he made fun of them indirectly when they did something he didn’t like -.

The corridors were full of students walking to their respective classes and he almost fell down the stairs while he was running to the first floor. Once he saw the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom he felt relieved. Professor Kim wasn’t there and he had a few minutes to catch his breath after going down 5 floors without stopping one second. Belle and Jooheon were holding hands but let go when they saw him almost dying there. “Whoa, what happened to you?” Jooheon caressed his back in a comforting manner after he coughed, getting worried about his state.

“I-I’m f-fine” he managed to speak despite his heavy breathing. “J-just a l-lot of s-stairs” he added and Robert laughed.

“You are like an old man” Robert shook his head in disbelief and Changkyun rolled his eyes.

“I w-want to see y-you running down f-five floors” the Ravenclaw student didn’t like Robert’s behavior lately and he wondered if the boy was still resentful about their fight before Slughorn’s Christmas party. Before Robert said something else, Professor Kim arrived. The man was wearing his usual dark green robe which touched the ground while he walked. Changkyun watched him open the door and followed his friends in, forgetting temporarily about his discovering of liking Kihyun.

 

The pink haired stared at Changkyun after a few minutes of practicing the Patronus Charm and found him spacing out. Was he okay? The Ravenclaw boy already managed to make his wolf run around the classroom six times but Kihyun noticed his weird intervals and couldn’t help to stare. Their eyes met for a brief second before Hyungwon’s frog jumping near his ear, making him focus on the task again. He decided not to get distracted anymore because it was pointless watching someone and worrying about him when he clearly couldn’t do anything about it. “I must say I’m a proud teacher” Professor Kim interrupted their practice. “You all have improved a lot today so, congratulations my students” his low voice echoed around the quiet room. “10 points for each house” Professor Kim made everyone clap happily but raised his hand to interrupt their noisy celebration. “Now, I know you hate it but...” before he could finish his explanation, all of them whined, already knowing what Professor Kim had in mind. “Form a line here, please, I won’t tell you twice” the man said and Kihyun walked to the front, feeling pretty confident after the last time they resisted the Imperious Curse. “How brave, Mr. Yoo” he used the same words he told Changkyun the last time. “You are confident after such a brilliant performance three weeks ago” the pink haired nodded at the statement and Professor Kim raised his wand. “ _ _Imperio!__ ” and the usual darkness surrounded him.

Kihyun wasn’t the only one who achieved it that time. Hyungwon, Belle, Minhyuk, the Bloom sisters and Robert did it too. Professor Kim was in a good mood for it but Kihyun got surprised when he saw Changkyun failing again. The latter seemed frustrated when they left the classroom and his expression didn’t change while they had lunch at the Great Hall. Belle was trying to cheer him up but he couldn’t understand the reason of his poor performance. Kihyun couldn’t understand either, Changkyun was never weak and he was always the first one getting everything right together with the pink haired.

After lunch, they had free time and Kihyun excused himself. His three friends didn’t care he left the Slytherin table so they didn’t notice he was following Changkyun. The pink haired was curious and he wanted to know what was happening to him. The Ravenclaw boy walked to the third floor but, instead of heading to the secret room, he closed his robe and tightened his scarf around his neck before getting out of the castle through the Clock Entrance. Kihyun put on his extra scarf and his winter cloak before following him. He hoped the other wouldn’t disappear because he was taking long to get ready. Kihyun ran through the Clock Tower Courtyard - that was still covered in snow but a little less than before - and headed to the Wooden Bridge that led to Hogwarts Grounds. Maybe Changkyun went to sit by his usual tree near the Dark Forest or maybe he was standing in the middle of the Sundial Garden like he did other years - Kihyun remembered he used __Levicorpus__  several times while Changkyun was distracted in the middle of the Sundial Garden -.

Kihyun slowed down when he was walking through the Wooden Bridge and he got surprised when he found Changkyun sitting on one of the glass-less windows. His legs were hanging from it while he rested the side of his face on his arms, which were placed on top of one of those wooden bars that went across every window. Kihyun hesitated for a few seconds but finally tapped Changkyun’s shoulder with his index finger, making him turn around. “Oh! Hi” the black haired flashed him a friendly smile. “Do you want to sit with me?” he asked and Kihyun nodded, climbing onto that window, even if he felt scared of that cliff under their feet. The pink haired waited for the other to say something else though he didn’t. His eyes were lost and Kihyun knew he was deep in thought.

“Cheer up” it was barely a whisper but Changkyun heard him and turned to look at him. “I mean... resisting the Imperious Curse isn’t easy, mudblood” Kihyun said, trying his best to make the Ravenclaw student feel better. Of course he had to add ‘mudblood’ into the sentence not to be thaat soft. He wasn’t ready to treat him completely well and the nickname helped him think he was being tough as always - it was dumb but effective inside his mind -.

“Why do you think I can’t?” Changkyun asked, showing his frustration. “I always feel I’m almost there but I cannot stop Professor Kim” he sighed and Kihyun stopped his hand midair when he almost touched Changkyun’s back.

“You have to simply say no” the pink haired explained. “It’s not as easy as it sounds but you have to deny it with all your might. You don’t have to let Professor Kim tell you what to do” Kihyun hoped he was being helpful but his advice sounded stupid.

“I’m trying, I swear” Changkyun rested his head on his arms once again and Kihyun restrained himself from petting his hair. __‘I’m not Lucy and Changkyun is definitely not Hyungwon’__  he thought, scrunching his nose at the sight. “What’s with that face?” he asked. “Oh, I get it, you are disgusted by me” Changkyun’s depressive state was something he didn’t know how to handle so he panicked and started waving his hands in front of his face to deny it. The black haired stared at him for a few seconds and burst out laughing. “I was joking, I’m not a self-destructive person, I tend to be positive I guess” Kihyun relaxed when he heard those words. “But I just can’t handle that Imperious Curse” he sighed.

“Don’t worry too much, you’ll be able to do it next time” Kihyun’s eyes were looking front and he felt that burning stare on the side of his face. Changkyun was smiling for sure, the pink haired could sense it. That was the main reason he pretended not to notice; he couldn’t handle that smile without his heart racing - nothing good for his sake -.

“Thanks, I feel a little better now” the Ravenclaw student suddenly stood up. “Do you want to take a walk?” he asked and Kihyun nodded, following him around the Grounds of Hogwarts before Potions class started.

 

 

 

Changkyun didn’t take long to assume he liked Kihyun. After their encounter on Monday, he was completely sure he had feelings for the pink haired boy. The latter managed to help him get his frustrations out and that wasn’t easy to achieve. Changkyun felt helpless after that unsuccessful Defense Against the Dark Arts class and he couldn’t stop thinking about the reason of his failure. He didn’t eat much at lunch because he wasn’t hungry and then excused himself, quickly leaving the Great Hall before Belle finished her dessert. The black haired didn’t know what he was thinking when he rushed to the third floor. He was about to head to the secret room but changed his mind midway. The Wooden Bridge was almost empty due to the extreme cold and he needed time alone to think.

It had been a surprise to find Kihyun behind his back, softly tapping his shoulder to gain his attention. Changkyun tried not to look so depressed but, apparently, it didn’t work. The Slytherin boy did his best to cheer him up and they ended up walking around Hogwarts Grounds. Kihyun didn’t talk much but he thanked him again for the bracelet and that was enough to make Changkyun happy. The black haired knew he was exaggerating things but he never failed and it was even more frustrating; he wasn’t used to it. Thankfully, Professor Slughorn was pleased with his performance and Hagrid was proud of the two students because their creature was growing perfectly fine. Kihyun also walked with him back to the castle after Care of Magical Creatures and his depressive state disappeared.

That Wednesday afternoon, they were inside the Great Hall, waiting to have their first Apparition class. The long tables were gone and the place looked even bigger without anything inside. It was odd to see the Great Hall like that and he could spot several students watching the room with curiosity. Changkyun was standing up front with Belle, Robert, Jooheon and Changkyun’s Art classmates - Hoseok, Bryony and Minhyuk -. Kihyun was with his usual group of friends not far away from there and they were all staring at the Headmistress. Professor McGonagall seemed impatient and she only calmed down when an old man from the Ministry of Magic arrived. “Finally” the students heard McGonagall mutter in a low voice to then smile at the newcomer and shake his hand in a polite manner. “Welcome, Wilkie” she said and the other greeted her back.

“Thank you, Minerva” the old man bowed his head slightly before turning to the students. “Good afternoon, everyone” he said, not showing any sign of enthusiasm. His voice was plain, just like his expression. The man looked oddly colorless, with transparent eyelashes, wispy hair, and an insubstantial air, as though a single gust of wind might blow him away. Maybe those were Apparition aftermaths, Changkyun was sure that man Apparated more than any other wizard in his entire life. “My name is Wilkie Twycross and I’ll be your Apparition Instructor for the following 12 weeks. I hope it’s enough time for you to acquire the basic notions of the art of Apparition” he explained. “After these Apparition Lessons some of you will be able to take the exam and I hope most of you do well” the students were silent and Professor McGonagall seemed proud of it. “As you all know, in normal circumstances, it’s not possible to Disappear inside Hogwarts castle but the Headmistress has freed the Great Hall from all those restrictions only for me to teach you” after those words all students started mumbling, getting excited. Professor McGonagall made shut them up and let Wilkie go on with his speech. “You are not allowed to Disappear our of this room and don’t even think about trying” he warned before they started. “Now” he said, pausing before talking again. “Leave a 1 and a half meter space in between you and the person in front of you” he ordered and everyone complied in silence. They didn’t want McGonagall scolding them again so they obeyed. “Thank you” Twycross lifted his wand and made an outdated wooden ring appear in front of each student. “The important things to remember when Apparating are the three D’s!” he went on, talking with his neutral and boring voice. “Destination, determination and deliberation!” he said a little more enthusiastically.

“What?” Robert whispered in Changkyun’s ear and he raised his shoulders, not understanding either.

“First step: Fixate your mind in your __destination__ , in this case, the interior of the ring. Concentrate deeply in your destination and try not to get distracted” Mr. Twycross commanded and all of them did what he said. It was pretty much like when Professor Kim taught them the Nonverbal Spells the first Monday of September, a few months ago. All the students were staring at the wooden ring and some of them had their faces flushed as if they were trying too hard to picture the ring inside their minds. Robert was already covering his mouth with his palm not to laugh and Changkyun saw Hyungwon already laughing silently and the black haired realized it was all because of Fergus. The latter’s face was almost purple and he looked angry with his furrowed brows. Changkyun did his best to keep on concentrating in his ‘destination’, the first D. “Second step: use your full __determination__  to occupy the visualized space. Let the strong desire of filling that space cloud your minds and run through every cell of your bodies!” Wilkie spoke a little louder as he recited the three instructions they had to follow and Changkyun tried to focus as much as he could. He couldn’t take another humiliation, he needed to achieve it as fast as he could. “Third and last step: when I order it, make a turn around yourselves and do it with __deliberation__!” he finished his long speech there. “Here I go; three, two...” Changkyun stared at that wooden ring with determination and thought about the three D’s, wishing hard to appear inside the empty space in front of him. “...one, go!” he yelled and everyone turned around themselves. It was funny to see Hyungwon falling automatically to the floor, followed by Lucy, who fell on top of him. They weren’t the only ones falling and there were a lot of students laughing. Changkyun turned around himself and nothing happened but, thankfully, he didn’t fall. His sense of balance seemed to be good. “Don’t worry, don’t worry!” Wilkie waved his hands in front of his face while speaking. “Let’s try again. Return to your initial position” he ordered and the whole class went on the same way.

In the end, non of them managed to Apparate and Wilkie Twycross told them it was completely normal. Changkyun was glad he wasn’t the only useless one in the art of Apparition. “What a useless class” Robert grunted when they were leaving the Great Hall so Professor McGonagall could reactivate the Anti-Apparition spells. All the sixth years were frustrated and the low energy around them could be perceived. “I cannot even remember the three D’s” Robert kept on talking and Jooheon chuckled.

“Yeah, me neither” Jooheon replied, pecking Belle’s temple keeping her close by her shoulders.

“You two have no memory” Belle rolled her eyes and Changkyun nodded because the three D’s were pretty simple to remember. “Destination, determination and deliberation, guys, it’s quiet simple” Belle’s exasperation was fun to watch. The four friends walked to the Grand Staircase and started going upstairs, not wishing to freeze at the Courtyard. They could go to the Study Area in the 4th floor, even if they wouldn’t study.

“I get it, Belle” Robert was using that annoyed tone of voice again and Changkyun didn’t like it. “You two are brilliant and we are idiots. Do you feel superior, huh?” he asked and Jooheon stopped him, not letting him treat his girlfriend like that.

“Robert, look” Changkyun interrupted their fight because he felt he needed to fix things. It was his fault Robert was acting that way and he had to do something. “I know you are still angry at me but you don’t need to treat Belle like that. I already told you I’m sorry I called you Mr. Roberts, let’s just get along like before, please” Changkyun tried his best and Robert sighed, patting his back with a slight smile.

“You are right, I’m sorry” the taller boy apologized. “I’ve been acting like a twat and I was the one being a prick when we fought” Robert relaxed. “I’m sorry, Belle”

“It’s fine, Rob” Belle smiled, dragging her boyfriend to an empty table. The other two followed and, before they could start talking, the Bloom sisters appeared out of nowhere. They sat down by Belle’s side and Changkyun tried not to look at Kihyun when he sat beside him. “Do you want to play a cards game? I learned it from my Muggle uncle” Belle proposed and Kihyun automatically denied it. Hyungwon was thinking the same way but Lucy slapped his nape and forced him to play. It was a fun afternoon but Changkyun got a little sad when Kihyun left to his Common Room, saying he couldn’t stand a Muggles’ game and he was wasting his time just watching. The Ravenclaw boy stared at him until he disappeared behind the stone wall and he found the Bloom sisters smirking at him when he turned back to the game. Changkyun then saw Lucy elbowing Hollie and subtly - or not so subtly - pointing at his wrist where his bracelet was.

“Changkyun” Lucy called his name. “What a gorgeous bracelet! Who gave it to you?” she asked, grabbing the boy’s wrist to take a closer look.

“My mom gave it to me before Christmas” Changkyun grinned and the Bloom sisters complimented his bracelet once more.

“Your mom has a nice taste” Hollie said and they kept on playing.

 

 

 

“They have couple bracelets, Belle! Didn’t you notice?” Lucy and Hollie were very excited while they told Belle what they saw. Kihyun lied about his aunt giving that article to him and they knew the pink haired didn’t want them to find out. Kihyun was a reserved person and he never told them anything, even if they were friends. The Bloom sisters were sure he was trying to hide that bracelet and they were sure Changkyun gave it to him for Christmas. The Ravenclaw boy was nervous at the train and he had a tiny box inside his robe’s pocket, Hollie saw it while he took out those cute Slytherin plushies.

“What do you mean?” Belle seemed excited too and, after they explained, they hugged and yelled like crazy women. “I can’t believe Changkyun didn’t tell me!” Belle said when they managed to calm down. “I’ll try to make him confess” she smiled and the sisters nodded.

“We have Quidditch training tomorrow afternoon, we could follow Kihyun around after the training” Hollie proposed and they joined their hands together.

“We can do it!” the three of them yelled and they headed back to their previous spots. It was Thursday afternoon and they were studying in the Library. They excused themselves saying they needed to go to the bathroom and it would be suspicious if they took so long in there. Changkyun was sure they were planning something and they needed to be careful to follow them around.


	10. Friends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I'm back with another chapter! I was going to make it longer but it was getting too long and I decided to cut it in half haha
> 
> Hope you like it! It's going somewhere I guess ^^
> 
> Thank you for all the comments, they brighten up my day <3

After a week and a few days, Changkyun found himself in his Quidditch training. Alana was yelling a lot and going crazy about every little mistake they made. Arlo almost cried when he missed his shot and Alana scolded him but he recomposed himself to then keep on playing. Changkyun knew their captain’s temper was due to their next match. They would go against Slytherin and it was always their toughest game. The Slytherin team was strong and Kihyun was surely pushing his players so they gave their best performance. “Changkyun! Don’t you see the bloody Snitch?! Go and catch it before I lose my patience!” Alana screamed at him but the black haired was already tired. He wasn’t blind, he saw the damn Snitch though he couldn’t move anymore. His arms and legs hurt and he felt he would fall from his broom at any moment if he didn’t stop doing those dangerous tricks and turns.

“I’m dying here! Have some mercy on us” Changkyun was the first one confronting their captain and the woman’s eyes became suddenly dark. All the others stopped practicing to stare at them and Changkyun knew he messed up when Theodore started shaking his head repeatedly. They all had their eyes wide like two basketball balls - except for Belle - and were desperately motioning for him to shut up with their hands. Alana was flying slowly in his direction with an unreadable expression and that wasn’t good. Changkyun gulped audibly and got startled when the girl grabbed his scarf.

“What did you say? Have mercy on you?” Alana chuckled, turning to look at the others, who didn’t know what to do aside from laughing nervously. “We are playing against Slytherin in case you didn’t notice, Im Changkyun! We need to win this match because I’m sure we won’t be able to score much points with Ethan as a Keeper and you are our only hope! You have to catch the Snitch, got it? And you will do everything I say because I’m the captain and I don’t care you are tired after an hour of flying!” she yelled and Reuben raised his hand to ask a question. It wasn’t a good moment but Alana sighed and let him talk.

“We’ve been practicing for four hours, Miss Alana!” Reuben said in fear and lowered his gaze to the floor after closing his mouth. Alana widened her eyes in shock and checked on her wristwatch.

“Bloody Bludgers! I’m sorry, everyone! I thought we were on time” Alana apologized. “You are dismissed” she turned back to look at Changkyun. “I’m sorry, Changkyun” she scratched her nape in shame. “You did great!” she patted his shoulder and smiled, flying down to the pitch’s ground. She quickly organized the Bludgers and the Snitch inside the wooden box and searched for the Quaffle to also put it inside the box. Changkyun stayed still for a few minutes, relaxing his muscles that were aching a lot. He then went down and left his broom by his side as he laid on the pitch’s grass. Belle went to lay by his side and they both stared at the sky. The snow was starting to disappear slowly and that Saturday was a sunny day. They knew they already missed lunch and, under the rays of sunshine, they didn’t feel the cold breeze that much.

“I’m so hungry” Changkyun whined after his stomach growled loudly and the two friends laughed when Belle’s stomach growled too. “I guess we are both hungry” the Ravenclaw boy said. “And I still have to write Professor Adwell’s essay” he protested and Belle nodded; she had to do it too. The Ravenclaw students didn’t say anything for long minutes and Changkyun was starting to feel sleepy. The warm was sun illuminating their energy-drained bodies and the black haired couldn’t sleep that well the night before. That week, he spent his nights thinking how to stop liking Kihyun because he knew it wouldn’t be a good thing. Changkyun was sure his heart would break if he fell deeper for that pink haired, annoying pure blood. The latter couldn’t even admit to his friends he stopped hating Changkyun and that was a big problem to him.

Changkyun closed his eyes and tried to relax. He had to face the fact that Kihyun would never be anything more than an ex-enemy who was in good terms with him; nothing else. Slumber started taking over him but, the moment he felt himself drowning in the darkness, Belle hit his stomach harshly. “Ah! What?!” Changkyun yelled, grabbing his abdomen with a pained expression on his face. He turned to look at his friend and found her pointing at a flying paper above their heads. It was a tiny, paper-made plane and it was going in his direction. The object fell on his lap before he could ask Belle who sent it and he opened it in curiosity. His eyes automatically stared at the signature because he couldn’t believe it said Kihyun. Changkyun rubbed his eyes, thinking maybe the blinding sun was making him see things but the signature didn’t disappear nor change.

__Dear mudblood:_ _

__I was wondering if you were free tomorrow afternoon because I feel like getting away from my annoying friends (specially Lucy and Hollie). You can tell me after dinner so no one suspects anything..._ _

__By the way, nice training. It’s a shame Slytherin will win the Quidditch Cup this year._ _

 

When he read that part, he rolled his eyes, but his smile didn’t leave his features. His heart was racing and he felt his bad mood and tiredness fading.

 

__I don’t know if you realized it but you gave me a lucky charm for Christmas... (I’m joking, in case you didn’t notice)_ _

__I’ll wait for an answer._ _

__Kihyun_ _

Changkyun bent the piece of paper when he finished reading and chuckled to himself, shaking his head in disbelief. He was extremely happy and his constant pessimistic thoughts left his mind. The black haired also forgot Belle was there with him and she was curiously staring at him, waiting for an explanation about the letter he received. After a few seconds of watching Changkyun press the plane-shaped letter against his chest and space out, she cleared her throat loudly. The Ravenclaw boy turned to look at her in surprise and couldn’t help to blush. “What is that, Changkyunnie?” Belle took the letter from him and started reading it before he could react. Changkyun didn’t mind telling his best friend about his encounters with Kihyun but he was worried she would tell the Bloom sisters. If the pink haired found out he told Belle, he would use the Killing Curse against him. “I knew you had a present for him!” the girl yelled and Changkyun quickly covered her mouth with his palm.

“Shh!” the Ravenclaw boy became suddenly nervous and looked around, hoping Kihyun wasn’t at the Quidditch pitch. “Please don’t tell anyone” Changkyun whispered in his deep voice. “Not even Lucy and Hollie” he waited for Belle to say yes but she was still in silence. “Please, Belle! They wouldn’t leave Kihyun alone if they knew about the bracelet and about this letter” the black haired begged, not having another option.

“Why didn’t you tell me? I feel betrayed” the girl pretended to be hurt though Changkyun knew she was doing it to make him feel guilty.

“I didn’t tell you because Kihyun asked me not to and also because I knew you would tell those two” he sighed.

“I think Lucy and Hollie already know about the bracelet... they saw Kihyun’s wrist and he told them his aunt gave it to him” Belle confessed and Changkyun’s heart raced. He was nervous now that the Bloom sisters knew about it and he felt stupid for telling them the truth the other day at the Study Area. “But they saw yours last week and they dragged me to the bathroom to tell me about it” she made him wish to disappear.

“Wow” Changkyun received the letter when Belle gave it back to him and stared blankly at it. “Those two are fast” he chuckled and Belle smiled at him. “Promise me you won’t tell them about this or I’ll never tell you anything anymore” he threatened, even if it wasn’t something he liked doing. Kihyun seemed to enjoy threatening people but Changkyun had a different point of view. It was just that time because he needed to do it for Belle not to open her mouth in front of the two devils. The black haired was totally fine with them knowing but Kihyun wasn’t and he wanted to respect that.

“Fiiineee” Belle pouted. “I won’t tell them anything” she shook Changkyun’s hand. “I promise” she smiled brightly. “Now tell me everything!” she demanded and Changkyun laughed, starting to talk before she became impatient.

 

After eating some snacks they had in their Common Room not to starve to death, Belle and Changkyun went to the Courtyard together with Jooheon. The latter was walking around the Ravenclaw Tower, looking for Belle, so they all decided to go hang out outside. Changkyun started reading a new book and the couple started kissing. The black haired remembered Kihyun asking him how could he stand them doing that a month ago after Slughorn’s Christmas party but he seriously didn’t mind. His friends were together, they were in a healthy relationship and he didn’t mind them kissing in front of him. The black haired usually read a book or did his homework, not even paying attention to them.

It was a quiet afternoon and most of the students were at the Courtyard. It was the first warm day in a long time and the sun made everyone go outside. Changkyun lifted his gaze from his book and looked around, finding interesting how everyone played different games and chatted happily. The black haired spotted Hyungwon and Kihyun studying farther away and the taller one waved his hand at him. Changkyun waved back and, the moment the pink haired turned to look at him, he showed him the letter and nodded, letting him know he would hang out with him the next day. Kihyun flashed him a smile - almost undetectable - to then get back to Hyungwon and his homework. No one saw them; Belle and Jooheon were still kissing and Hyungwon was too concentrated on something else.

Changkyun went back to his book after staring at Kihyun for some more minutes. He was feeling extremely happy and it wouldn’t hurt to watch the pink haired study for a while. The latter wouldn’t even notice he was stalking him with his eyes; he wanted to hide their good-terms relationship from the others and he did his best not to look back at Changkyun. The Ravenclaw boy lifted his gaze from his book several times but the Bloom sisters arrived after long minutes and he couldn’t stare at Kihyun anymore. It was risky to do something like that with those two around and he’d like to keep his little crush a secret as long as he could.

Changkyun’s mind couldn’t focus on the book anymore, he got deep in his thoughts and wondered if Kihyun stayed at the Quidditch pitch for four hours just watching their training. The pink haired obviously sent the letter from the Grounds of Hogwarts but maybe he arrived late to the Ravenclaw training. __‘But, if he arrived late, how did he know we would be training that long? We usually train two hours, not four’__  he thought though a slap on his nape brought him back to reality and he found Robert smiling at him. “Please don’t hit me” Changkyun whined, caressing his sore spot softly.

“Sorry” Robert chuckled. “Hey, you two! Stop kissing in front of him, it’s annoying to have you snogging all day long!” he scolded the couple, using that horrible tone of voice Changkyun didn’t like at all.

“It’s okay, I don’t mind” the black haired smiled toothlessly at his two friends but Robert quickly grabbed Jooheon’s wrist, dragging him to the castle. “What’s wrong with him lately?” Changkyun asked Belle though the girl didn’t answer, she started apologizing for ‘snogging’ in front of him with Jooheon. “Belle, seriously, I don’t mind” the black haired caressed Belle’s arm in reassurance. “You know, it’s funny because Kihyun doesn’t understand how I stand you two snogging all day” Changkyun didn’t know the reason of his sudden blabbering about Kihyun but he thought it was a funny story to tell. “He told me he hopes Lucy never confesses to Hyungwon” Belle’s eyes widened at that. “What?” Changkyun frowned, not understanding the sudden change in her facial expression.

“Nothing I just don’t get used to you talking about Kihyun” Belle didn’t seem to be telling the truth but Changkyun decided to drop it. “Keep talking please, I’m listening” the girl went closer to Changkyun and he told her everything about their little talk during Slughorn’s Christmas party.

 

 

 

Kihyun opened his eyes that Sunday morning and immediately remembered the letter he sent to Changkyun. __‘That was stupid, he must think I’m desperate for his attention’__  he thought, feeling embarrassed. His cheeks were flushed and, even if he was dying to meet Changkyun later in the secret place, he also wished to sleep all day - or maybe disappear -. __‘Why did I tell him I watched his training? Ah... so embarrassing’__  the pink haired kept on regretting things while he heard his Slytherin classmates’ voices behind those thick, green curtains that covered his bed. At times like that, he thanked the heavens for having those curtains. He loved waking up quietly without letting the others know he was already awake. __‘Why do I miss him? Is it wrong?’__  he asked himself and his hands flew to his pink hair, pulling on it in frustration. __‘Maybe he’s more interesting to me because we used to be enemies... yes, that’s it! It’s something totally new to me and that’s why I want to be with him, right?’__  he smiled at the discovering but it faded when he realized he never let any of his enemies go closer to him as he did with Changkyun.

The Ravenclaw boy had that sad puppy expression when he was serious and Kihyun had a weakness for it - he wouldn’t admit it loudly though -. Even when he read books or wrote his essays, he looked sad and the pink haired realized it when they stopped fighting months ago. The moment he found him sitting on the Wooden Bridge staring at the scenery, he couldn’t help but feel worried. He wanted to say cheerful things to Changkyun, he wanted to make him feel better because there was nothing to be ashamed of. The black haired was a brilliant student, sometimes smarter than he was - other thing he wouldn’t admit out loud -, and the Imperius Curse was hard to control. Kihyun knew every wizard had a weakness - the pink haired had trouble in Charms class pretty often because he found the spells pretty stupid - though everything happened inside their minds, Changkyun only needed to concentrate and believe he was capable of doing it.

From that day, Kihyun couldn’t stop wondering what was the other thinking. He stared at him every time the Bloom sisters turned around to make sure he was okay. After seeing him skip breakfast once, he got worried and started watching him eat. Kihyun couldn’t do anything but at least he could scold him if they found each other alone in the secret room or maybe at the Grounds of Hogwarts. Threatening and scolding him was simple for the pink haired because he was used to it and he got to see Changkyun smile every time he did that. The Ravenclaw student didn’t get angry at him anymore, he found his threats funny. It should be frustrating for Kihyun - and it was at first - but seeing Changkyun comfortable around him was all he could ask for at that moment.

Kihyun stared at the bracelet for long minutes, admiring the white gold snake. __‘Muggles aren’t so bad at making jewelry’__  he thought, finding the item fascinating despite its origins. He then realized it must have been very expensive judging by the materials it was made of and he felt a little bad for asking Changkyun for it. __‘He didn’t have to listen to me though’__  he frowned, suddenly questioning his whole existence. Why did Changkyun buy him such an expensive object? Kihyun wasn’t his friend yet and he treated him like trash all those years. __‘Why?’__  he thought, sighing in annoyance. He wanted to ask him but he knew he couldn’t. The pink haired had such a strong pride; he couldn’t stop calling him mudblood, even if they were in good terms. __‘I’ll do my best to be his friend’__  his frown faded and he grinned toothlessly, lowering his arm to stop looking at his gorgeous bracelet. __‘Okay, enough’__  he told himself and sat up, stretching his body before reaching for his wand - which was under his pillow - to open the curtains. Once he was exposed, he found Fergus, Leo and Ethan sitting on the floor playing Wizards Chess. The three of them turned to look at him and only Leo and Ethan waved their hands to greet him. Fergus did nothing; he hated Kihyun and he was jealous of him. As always, Hyungwon’s curtains were closed and the pink haired had no interest in waking him up. It was Sunday, he could do whatever he wanted.

“Kihyun, do you wanna play? Fergus needs someone to kick his ass” Leo joked and Fergus punched his chest as hard as he could.

“No, thanks” Kihyun stood up, heading to the bathroom in his pajamas. He usually changed first thing in the morning but he had no rush that day. The windows showing the bottom of Hogwarts Lake helped him relax and he enjoyed watching those creatures swim around. Kihyun always loved the Slytherin Common Room. Even if the room was dark, it was quiet and nothing could be heard there down the Dungeons. The pink haired returned to the dormitory after brushing his teeth and dressed in his casual clothes: dark jeans, a beige sweater and his Hogwarts robe on top. He didn’t want to freeze so he also grabbed his green scarf - only one of the two he always wore - and then went downstairs, finding Lucy and Hollie playing board games on the big table. Kihyun greeted them and sat down next to Hollie, staring at the game they were playing. “Hi” the pink haired said, yawning softly.

“Hi, Kihyunnie” Hollie answered though Lucy just glared at him. Kihyun didn’t understand what got into her, he didn’t do anything bitchy those last days. Was she angry because he suggested Hyungwon they should study away from them for a while?

“What?” Kihyun asked Lucy. “What have I done now?” he added and the girl laughed sarcastically.

“Nothing, Kihyunnie” she answered in a ‘cute’ voice, flashing him a scary glare right after. Hyungwon appeared by the dormitories’ door before Kihyun could protest and Lucy turned to look at him. “So, Kihyunnie” the woman spoke. “A bird told me you don’t want me to confess to Hyungwon” Kihyun widened his eyes when he heard those words. Who told her? He was sure Changkyun didn’t because- __‘that idiot told Belle!’__  he thought, making a mental note to scold the Ravenclaw boy later. “Hyungwon!” Lucy called the taller one’s name and the pink haired panicked. __‘No!’__  he yelled inside his mind and tried to stop the girl but it was too late, Hyungwon was standing beside her.

“What?” the tall one stretched his body and yawned, still feeling sleepy - he felt sleepy all day -.

“Can you borrow me your Transfiguration essay? I don’t understand how to do it” she cutely said, pouting after ending his sentence. She then turned to look at Kihyun and laughed evilly, raising her brows twice to tease him. __‘Damn that woman’__  it was his turn to glare.

“Sure” Hyungwon yawned again. “Why are you acting like a crazy woman?” he asked and yawned once more.

“Acting like a crazy woman? What do you mean?” Lucy pretended nothing happened and Hyungwon raised his shoulders, heading back to the boys dormitory to search for his essay. “You brought this on yourself, Yoo Kihyun. Get ready to face hell” Lucy laughed evilly once again and smiled when Hyungwon sat by her side, placing the piece of parchment on top of the black table. “Thank you, Hyungwonnie~!” she acted cute and grabbed the essay, leaving it near the board game. Kihyun sighed and stood up, feeling his good mood flying away slowly.

“I’m gonna have breakfast” he announced and walked out of the Slytherin Common Room, leaving his three friends alone.

 

Later that day, Kihyun headed to the third floor. Lucy had been teasing him the whole morning, calling Hyungwon to then do nothing and give the pink haired jump scares. He had to breathe deeply to calm down and he had been seconds away from getting up to scold Changkyun right there in the middle of the Great Hall. __‘I begged him not to tell anyone’__  he thought but he wasn’t sure he could call that begging; Yoo Kihyun never begged, he used his threats to achieve his objectives.

The third floor was full of students going from one side of the castle to the other and the Clock Entrance showed a Courtyard full of people. Kihyun hated crowded Sundays with all his might and he was glad the weather was nice enough for them to be outside. It was still cold but it wasn’t snowing that much. The pink haired headed to the corridor the secret room was in and he got surprised when he found Changkyun standing by the door, waiting for him. Kihyun walked slowly, stopping in front of the Ravenclaw boy, who was reading one of his books. As always, the pink haired had to tap Changkyun’s shoulder to call his attention. __‘How can he have such a strong concentration?’__  he thought and the slightly younger boy lifted his gaze, widening his eyes when he realized he was already there.

“Oh, hi! I’m sorry, I was reading and I didn’t hear you” Changkyun apologized and Kihyun knew he had to scold him but his smile distracted him. “Do you want to stay here? We could go take a walk if you are tired of being inside the castle” the black haired proposed and the Slytherin student thought about it for a few seconds. He liked the idea of going around like the other day but he was scared everyone started talking about them hanging out together.

“Let’s stay, I don’t want anyone finding out about our... our... friendship?” Kihyun asked and immediately felt stupid. It was pretty obvious he desperately wanted to know what they were at that point but he pretended he didn’t ask that on purpose. Changkyun chuckled and opened the wooden door before saying anything. He let the pink haired in first and then closed the door behind their backs.

“Yeah, I guess we are friends now, aren’t we?” the Ravenclaw student said, not looking back at Kihyun, who whispered a hesitant ‘yeah’. Changkyun muttered the password to the portrait of the lady and she let them in. Kihyun found the place extremely gorgeous like the first time the black haired showed it to him and he realized it was the first time they were there after their Christmas holiday. They both walked to the garden and sat on a bench quietly, not knowing what to do or say. Kihyun started regretting his decision and thought maybe it was a bad decision to call Changkyun out of nowhere to hang out together. They weren’t used to be like that, without homework to do, and the Slytherin boy started doubting their friendship could work. “Look” Changkyun suddenly broke the silence and took something from his backpack. He placed two notebooks on his lap together with color pencils and different art elements, making Kihyun get confused. “I brought this in case you felt like drawing” the Ravenclaw student smiled toothlessly and started opening his own notebook full of pretty drawings. They were all of Hogwarts and there were some parts of the castle Kihyun never saw before. “I saw you drawing a long time ago, remember? When we hated each other” the younger talked more and the pink haired was listening, even if he was concentrated on those drawings.

“Yes, I remember” Kihyun didn’t lift his gaze. “The day you told me Hoseok was right about me needing art lessons” he made Changkyun laugh with those words and he chuckled, not able to contain himself. “I’m sorry, I tend to remember offensive comments” Kihyun justified his words but there was no need, the Ravenclaw boy did it on purpose at that moment because they both told each other hurtful things. “What’s this? I’ve never seen this room” the castle was extremely big and the pink haired was amazed by Changkyun’s knowledge about it. The room in the picture was strange, it had a lot of artworks on the stone walls with some wooden tables but it had no windows.

“Oh! I found that room last year” Changkyun was looking at Kihyun and the latter could feel his intense stare on the side of his face. “It’s the Room of Requirement” the pink haired widened his eyes at that because he thought that room was gone after the second war. Kihyun was told by his parents that an explosion happened in there when Harry Potter was finding Voldemort’s Horcruxes and no one knew if that room was still available. The Slytherin student finally turned to look at Changkyun with his jaw dropping and found him smiling.

“H-how did you-

“I thought the room was gone but last year I went to the seventh floor searching for a new place to draw, I was bored to death that Sunday and I had nothing else to do” the black haired explained. “So I walked around and I was wishing so hard for a new room to draw” he chuckled. “I didn’t realize I was in front of that wall and the door suddenly appeared. I drew what I saw and I never came back since then” he said and Kihyun turned back to the drawing.

“Wow, incredible” the pink haired whispered, not changing his expression. “Can you take me there? I mean, not now, any day you want” Kihyun asked and saw his companion nodding in response. “We could practice spells there or just hide from Lucy, Hollie and Belle” they both laughed at that and the Slytherin boy’s heart was beating fast inside his rib cage. “Wait, I just remembered I have something to say” Kihyun tried to ignore his racing heart to finally scold Changkyun for telling Belle about their talk after Slughorn’s Christmas party. “You told Belle! I threatened you not to, remember?” the Ravenclaw boy panicked a little when Kihyun spoke. “It’s because you are a filthy mudblood, I should have known” the pink haired joked - he hoped Changkyun got used to it already because he was tired of explaining.

“Hum... joking?” the slightly younger male asked and Kihyun nodded. “I’m sorry I told her... she’s persuasive!” Changkyun made the Slytherin student roll his eyes. “She saw the letter and-

“She saw the letter?!” Kihyun felt even more embarrassed at that moment; his cheeks were red and his face became hot. “How is it that she saw the letter?!” he yelled but Changkyun calmed him down.

“You sent it when I was laying with her, what did you expect?” the black haired was right, even if Kihyun didn’t want to admit it.

“Well, in my defense, you could have hidden it until you were alone!” the Slytherin boy heard a long sigh from his side. Changkyun was staring at his lap and had a troubled expression on his face. Kihyun’s eyes fixated on his facial features and he couldn’t help to think how unique he was. Changkyun had something that always called the pink haired’s attention. He believed it was the delicate way of moving but his face seemed to be guilty too.

“I can’t say no to her... she’s such a good friend and we tell each other everything” Changkyun went back to look at Kihyun, making him blush and avoid his stare. He felt observed and he feared the other caught him hypnotized by his facial features. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to but... I just cannot do it” he confessed and Kihyun decided to drop it. Lucy and Hollie were annoying as hell but he couldn’t stop that. Even if Changkyun abstained himself from telling Belle everything, they would find out on their own.

“It’s okay, I’m just tired of dealing with Lucy and Hollie” Kihyun patted the Ravenclaw boy’s back. “I’ll figure out what to do” he smiled to let him know he wasn’t angry. It was something difficult for him. He didn’t smile that often but he felt Changkyun earned it. He was so sincere and see-through, something Kihyun wasn’t used to find.

“I’ll try my best not to tell her, I promise” he raised his pinkie and locked it with Kihyun’s. “Pinkie promise” Changkyun chuckled and the pink haired just smiled toothlessly.

 

 

 

After two more weeks, they had an excursion to Hogsmeade, the only all-wizard village in all Great Britain. The place was full of students from third year to seventh year and it was a mess. The streets were so crowded they could barely walk and Kihyun was starting to get grumpy. Hyungwon almost fell like 5 times already and Lucy wouldn’t let go of him, flashing Kihyun arrogant smiles while doing so. She was still teasing him after all those days so the pink haired tried to ignore her. It was good he got to escape from his friends from time to time because he was learning to control his impulses of insulting them. His meetings with Changkyun were helping a lot and he wasn’t scared of smiling in front of him or laughing at his silly jokes anymore. They were growing comfortable around each other and that was a big step. “I’ll buy Changkyun a present” Lucy said, taking him out of his thoughts. Why would she buy a present for Changkyun? Kihyun didn’t understand until she opened her mouth to speak again. “It’s his birthday today” she smiled and Hollie went into Honeydukes with her to buy something to him too. The two Slytherin boys followed behind and Kihyun started thinking what to buy Changkyun himself. Those last weeks, he learned the black haired didn’t like sweets that much unless they were candies so he decided to wait and buy something else.

Lucy grabbed some Chocolate Wands from the shelves, showing them to Hollie, who was already holding some Fizzing Whizbees - large sherbet balls that will cause a person who sucks on them to float a few inches off the ground -. Kihyun was staring at them without moving from his spot and Hyungwon didn’t know what to do. The tall one was walking around the place with his hand up, pointing at one thing to then shake his head and point to another. It was a fun sight to see so the pink haired waited by the door, trying not to laugh at Hyungwon. “Aren’t you buying anything to Changkyun? You bought a full box of Chocolate Frogs to Hyungwon a week ago” Hollie asked him while she carried those Fizzing Whizbees to the cashier to pay for them.

“I’m not buying anything to that mudblood, he didn’t give me any gift for my birthday” Kihyun lied, even if the Bloom sisters already knew about their now confirmed friendship. Belle surely told them and there was nothing he could do aside from lying.

“He bought you a very expensive thing for Christmas” Lucy winked and he blushed. How did they know about his bracelet? He told them his aunt gave it to him but they already found out it was Changkyun’s gift. “A lucky charm~” the Bloom sisters talked in unison and he dropped his jaw. They also knew about the letter and he felt exposed. Kihyun limited himself to roll his eyes and look away, not wishing to start a fight in vain. “Come on, Kihyunnie, buy him something, leave your pride aside for just a few minutes” Lucy made him grunt.

“He doesn’t like sweets, you idiots” the pink haired said and then went out of Honeydukes in embarrassment. Thankfully, Hyungwon didn’t hear him but he still felt stupid. The Bloom sisters wouldn’t stop teasing him after that and he knew he would face hell when they returned to the castle that Saturday evening. He was walking fast through the crowded streets of Hogsmeade when he suddenly bumped onto someone hard, throwing him to the floor in the process. Kihyun started apologizing but smiled once he saw Changkyun in front of him. The Ravenclaw boy had his scarf hanging loosely around his neck - like always - and Kihyun wondered how did he stand the cold breeze. The slightly younger student stood up and helped him, flashing him a cute grin. __‘Happy birthday’__  he thought but his mouth wouldn’t move. __‘Come on, Kihyun, say it, it’s not that hard’__  he encouraged himself though, the moment he managed to move his lips, he saw Robert and Jooheon glaring at him and Belle with expectant eyes. That sight made him get extremely insecure and he couldn’t congratulate Changkyun. “Move aside, twat” he blurted out without intending to and saw the Ravenclaw student’s grin fading. “And watch where you are going!” he walked past the four friends and Robert yelled ‘prick’ at him and he was completely right but he couldn’t do it with all those eyes on him. The disappointment in Changkyun’s orbs hurt though he would wait a while to apologize and give him the best birthday present.

Kihyun walked around the place, thinking of what to buy. Changkyun’s parents gave him an amazing broomstick that morning. __‘I could buy him a Broomstick Servicing Kit’__  he thought and immediately headed to Spintwitches - a shop that sold Quidditch supplies -. The shop was full of third years and Kihyun felt relieved. If he found one of his classmates there, he would surely panic. The pink haired quickly asked for the Broomstick Servicing Kit and paid for it, leaving the store in a fast speed. __‘Maybe I should buy him a book too’__  he thought and headed to Hogsmeade book store. He picked a Quidditch book to follow the theme of his first present and hoped Changkyun didn’t have it already because he was surrounded by books all day.

With the two presents securely hidden inside his winter cloak’s pockets, he walked back to where his friends were. He took a while to find them; they were no longer inside Honeydukes, they moved to The Three Broomsticks to drink some butter beer. “Well, well, well... look who’s back” the Bloom sisters said in unison to then hi-five. “Where did you go?” Lucy asked, caressing Hyungwon’s hair.

“I wanted to escape from you for a few minutes” Kihyun sat down by Hollie’s side, letting his body sink on the wooden chair. Lucy was about to open her mouth to talk again but she stopped midway.

“Look! Changkyun’s here!” she stood up with her present, being followed by Hyungwon and Hollie. Kihyun stayed on the table, staring at them from afar. The black haired seemed startled when the three Slytherins hugged him and handed him the three bags full of sweets from Honeydukes at the same time. Changkyun thanked them with a smile and then locked eyes with Kihyun, spotting him on the lonely table. The pink haired wanted to do something to let him know he was just acting on impulse but the Ravenclaw student quickly avoided his gaze, starting to talk with Hyungwon. __‘Why did I treat him like that?’__  he asked himself, feeling extremely bad for being a proud knob head. He remembered his own birthday a few months ago and realized Changkyun didn’t throw curses at him that day, not even once, and he also wished him a happy birthday. They were just starting to get along and that was the reason the black haired didn’t buy him a present but he acted like a decent human being, unlike him that afternoon.

 

Changkyun changed his mind about going to The Three Broomsticks once he saw Kihyun there. Why couldn’t he wish him a happy birthday? He could do it in a grumpy tone of voice but he didn’t need to be so rude. His good mood fell to the floor when Kihyun insulted him and he felt like going back to Hogwarts. He thanked Hyungwon and the Bloom sisters for their presents though he denied their offer of sitting in the same table. “I’ll head back to the castle... I forgot I needed to... mm... try my new broom” he excused himself and turned around, leaving his three friends with the three Slytherin students. He only turned around once and saw Belle raising her shoulders to then enter the place. He didn’t want to be surrounded by people, he needed some time alone and the castle was the only option.

He walked fast past the crowd of people and took a few minutes to finally reach the Hogwarts Grounds. Everything was empty, only a few first and second year students were roaming around the castle together with some professors. Before Changkyun could go to his Common Room to leave all the presents, Professor Slughorn appeared out of nowhere and stopped him midway. He was holding a bag of Crystallized Pineapple and he handed him to Changkyun with a bright smile. “Happy birthday, my brilliant boy!” he said and the Ravenclaw student thanked him, trying his best to look happy.

“Thank you, professor” Changkyun grinned and tried to keep on walking but the old man wasn’t finished.

“I hope you like them, Kihyun told me he already finished the bag I gave him for his birthday and I thought it would be good to give you the same thing not to create rivalry” Professor Slughorn explained but Changkyun wanted to leave. That was the last name he wanted to hear at that moment and being reminded about the recent events made him wish to lock himself inside the Common Room for the rest of the day.

“I love them, thank you, professor” the black haired bowed shortly. “I’m sorry, I need to go” he excused himself and Slughorn let him go. He ran to the Common Room, not feeling like talking to anyone else. The room was completely empty and, after leaving his presents on his bed, he went to one of the huge sofas and fell asleep.

 

Changkyun woke up when he felt a finger tapping the side of his face and he growled, not even opening his eyes to check who it was. “Go away” he muttered in his raspy voice but the person didn’t listen to him. Changkyun was sure it was Belle and she pushed him to sit by his side.

“I see you are in a good mood” Belle chuckled and made him sit up to hug him. “What happened? Why are you acting like this?” she asked as Changkyun whined like a baby, lifelessly resting his head on Belle’s shoulder. “Hey, stop it” the girl patted his back and forced him to part from her. “What is it?” she insisted but Changkyun didn’t feel like talking - he didn’t feel like doing anything at all -. “Is it about Kihyun?” Belle knew him very well and she guessed everything before he said a word.

“He insulted me and left without wishing me a happy birthday” he quickly replied and growled, laying back onto the couch. Belle seemed happy about it - Changkyun didn’t know why but he was lazy to say anything - and she caressed his arm in a comforting manner. “I’m so done with him” he sighed.

“You like him, don’t you?” Belle asked and he widened his eyes, feeling his cheeks red and hot. “Don’t answer, your expression tells me everything” she giggled and Changkyun relaxed. It was just Belle, he didn’t mind her knowing and she knew she wouldn’t tell the Bloom sisters about such an important thing.

“Why do I like him?” Changkyun covered his face with his palms, drowning in his pessimistic thoughts.

“He’s adorable” Belle was doing her best to cheer him up. __‘Yes, he’s adorable... when he’s not pretending he still hates me’__  he thought and stood up. “Where are you going? You need to have dinner with us” she grabbed her friend’s wrist to stop him.

“I’ll be there, I just need some time alone” Changkyun assured and Belle let him go. He didn’t know what came into him when he headed to the seventh floor, decided to find the Room of Requirement once again after all those months. The seventh floor corridor was empty so he almost had a heart attack when he found Kihyun there, sitting in front of the wall where the Room of Requirement was. Changkyun got ready to turn around but the Slytherin student grabbed his arm before he could go anywhere. “Let me go, I don’t wanna see you” the black haired whined, not looking back at Kihyun.

“Well, I wanna see you and I won’t let you go until we talk” the pink haired made him growl but he decided to stay and listen to whatever he had to say. Changkyun reluctantly turned to look at Kihyun’s eyes and saw him smiling. “That’s the reason you cannot stop the Imperius Curse, you do everything people tell you” he said and Changkyun glared at him. Even if he could have been right about his theory, he didn’t need to hear something like that at that moment. “I’m sorry about what happened earlier... I panicked because your friends were staring at me” he confessed and Changkyun’s expression softened a bit. “Happy birthday” he took out two bags decorated with cute ribbons. “I hope you like them” the Slytherin student became a little nervous when Changkyun decided to open the gifts.

The Ravenclaw student’s heart raced when he saw the Broomstick Servicing Kit and he couldn’t stop his smile from showing. “I love it, thank you” he whispered, focusing on opening the second one. It was a Quidditch book he was about to buy so he was glad he didn’t. It contained a lot of pictures and, while he was passing the pages, he found a tiny piece of paper inside, carefully folded. Changkyun grabbed it and opened it, finding a drawing of himself flying on his broom at the Quidditch pitch. It was poorly made and it lacked technique but Kihyun made it himself and it was enough for Changkyun.

“Oh, you can throw that away if you don’t like it... I used the notebook you gave me a week ago. I drew it this morning when I went to watch your training” Changkyun heard those words and couldn’t help to hug the pink haired. It was a little awkward at first because Kihyun didn’t move but, seconds later, he felt arms sliding through his sweater to circle his waist.

“Thank you” the Ravenclaw boy whispered and let go of his companion, staring at him with a bright smile resting on his face. “I still think you need art lessons” Kihyun punched his arm when he said that. “But I really appreciate it” he folded the paper and saved it inside the book securely. “How did you know I was coming here?”

“I didn’t... I searched everywhere for you and, since I couldn’t find you, I thought you would be in there but you weren’t” Kihyun chuckled.

“I was in my Common Room” Changkyun confessed and the pink haired understood. “It’s the only place where I can completely avoid you” they both laughed.

“Makes a lot of sense” Kihyun slid his back through the stone wall until he touched the ground with his butt and sat there. “Do you want to show me the Room of Requirement?” he asked once Changkyun sat by his side.

“Okay, I will” the black haired paused. “But you could do it yourself, you know? It’s simple; you only have to wish for something with all your might and walk three times in front of this wall” he touched the wall behind their backs.

“I tried but it didn’t work... I thought it was because you were inside the room” Kihyun explained and Changkyun found it weird.

“What were you wishing for? Maybe your wish wasn’t right” the Ravenclaw boy tried to find a reasonable explanation.

“I was wishing to find you” the pink haired made him laugh. “What?” Kihyun seemed confused.

“That’s why” Changkyun played with one of the ribbons while talking. “You have to wish for a room. I wished to have a new place to draw and that’s the reason the door appeared” he hoped he was being clear.

“You are right but I didn’t need a room, I needed to find you”

“That’s why it didn’t appear” Changkyun said and Kihyun nodded. “We can do it now” he stood up and offered his hand to the pink haired to help him up. They both thought the same thing and walked past the wall three times. The door of the Room of Requirement appeared and, inside there, they had a huge living room with all kind of games.

“Happy birthday” Kihyun smiled when they sat down on a couch and started playing Wizards Chess.

 

Behind a pillar, Belle watched everything and was ready to tell the Bloom sisters about it. She could avoid the part of Changkyun liking Kihyun but it was too obvious, they would find out sooner or later. She turned around and started walking downstairs to the Great Hall. She was already hungry and she believed those two needed some time alone.


	11. Quidditch isn't a safe game

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I updated faster than I thought xD
> 
> I hope you don't kill me when you finish reading this :P haha
> 
> More Changki moments for you <3!!
> 
> Hope you like it ^^

“Concentrate, Mr. Im!” Professor Kim raised his voice, pointing at Changkyun with his wand but the latter was tired and he didn’t want to practice anymore. The other sixth year students were staring at him and laughing at whatever Professor Kim made him do and he couldn’t take it anymore. The black haired was busy thinking about other things like the Quidditch match against Slytherin that would take place two weeks later or the fact that Kihyun wouldn’t stop sending him letters whenever he wanted to hang out for a while. Changkyun was the only one who couldn’t resist the Imperius Curse and Fergus seemed to be enjoying it a lot. The Slytherin student couldn’t do anything right, not even a Levitation Spell - the black haired always wondered how could he be in the N.E.W.T level -, but he felt powerful knowing he could do something Changkyun couldn’t. Maybe he wasn’t made to disobey orders, maybe his parents gave him a different education and he couldn’t say no to a professor. His mind betrayed him every time he believed he was about to achieve it and he was already drained out of energy.

“I can’t, Professor Kim” he raised his palms to stop the elder because he seriously couldn’t take it anymore. His frustration and embarrassment made his confidence fly away and, without confidence, there was no way he would achieve such a difficult task. Fergus was laughing lowly, whispering things to Leo and making Changkyun feel even more useless. “Can we stop? Please” he begged and his professor sighed, lowering his wand in disappointment. The other students shut up once he turned to look at them and they waited for the elder man’s decision.

“Okay, let’s practice Nonverbal Spells for a while!” he said and every student searched for their partners to practice. Changkyun’s mind was clouded with thoughts and his body wouldn’t move from his spot. Thankfully, Kihyun walked in his direction and patted his back after making sure no one was watching. The pink haired stood in front of him and placed his palms on top of his shoulders to then shake him from there. Changkyun took a few seconds to finally react and he apologized to Kihyun. The moment he was about to step backwards to start duelling, the Slytherin boy grabbed his wrist and went closer to his ear.

“Don’t let them take you down, I believe in you” his soft voice made Changkyun shiver a little and those words were enough for him to cheer up. The Ravenclaw student stared at Kihyun when he parted and smiled toothlessly at him, letting him know his attempts to make him feel better were working perfectly.

“Thank you” the black haired whispered back but before they could start duelling, Robert appeared out of nowhere and stood in between them, glaring at Kihyun. The Gryffindor boy was angry at him since Changkyun’s birthday and he kept on trying to push him away from his friend. It was a normal reaction considering the pink haired treated him like trash that afternoon in Hogsmeade but Changkyun already asked him nicely to stop and he didn’t feel like fighting with Robert again.

“Stay away from Changkyun” Robert spoke in a low voice not to be heard by Professor Kim. “I’ll work with him today, go with your puppet Hyungwon” he added and Changkyun sighed.

“Robert, stop it” the black haired pulled his friend back from his arm. “I told you it’s fine, I don’t need a bodyguard and I think you should give Hyungwon a chance, he’s nice” Changkyun didn’t know if he’d be able to keep that relaxed tone of voice because he wasn’t in the best mood after his embarrassing performance and Kihyun’s nice attempt to make him feel better was slowly fading with Robert’s nonsense.

“A Slytherin student? Nice?” Robert raised his voice without realizing it and Professor Kim automatically turned to look at the little scene. “Don’t make me laugh, Changkyun. They are pure blood rats” he went on and Changkyun rolled his eyes, trying to ignore his angry friend. He didn’t understand the huge rivalry in between Gryffindor and Slytherin; it was stupid. Gryffindor always trying to prove they were better than Slytherin and vice-versa.

“What about you, little Gryffindors?” Kihyun couldn’t contain himself and Professor Kim walked in their direction to make sure they wouldn’t start fighting. “Always trying to be heroes and prove how brave you are” the pink haired chuckled. “You are Slytherin’s shadow” Robert grabbed Kihyun’s tie after hearing him say that and lifted him from the floor.

“Robert, I told you to stop!” Changkyun pointed at Robert with his wand before Professor Kim scolded them. He gave detention to Kihyun and Robert and they both cursed under their breaths.

“You are defending this piece of trash instead of me? Thank you so much, mate” Robert turned around and returned to Hyungwon, starting to duel. Changkyun knew he didn’t want to work with Hyungwon because he always lost but it wasn’t necessary to make a scene. Every time they were about to practice those spells, he became nervous and got angry at anyone. Jooheon and Belle were staring at Robert with confused eyes and they raised their shoulders in Changkyun’s direction.

“I’m sorry, Kihyun” the black haired whispered and raised his wand. “Should we start?” he asked and the pink haired nodded, not caring about Robert’s behavior. Kihyun didn’t see the Gryffindor student as a threat; he considered him inferior in so many levels he only answered to make fun of him, nothing more. He wasn’t happy with the punishment Professor Kim gave them but he could manage. Kihyun flashed Changkyun a friendly smile and threw him a curse. The Ravenclaw boy successfully avoided it and they started performing a spectacular duel. They were finally having fun, not worrying about anything.

Defense Against the Dark Arts ended after an hour of practicing Nonverbal Spells and Professor Kim let them leave. “Mr. Im” he called Changkyun and all the students started packing their things slower only to listen to the conversation. Kihyun flashed him a worried look that melted his heart and he knew nothing Professor Kim could say would let him down. “I’ll give you one last chance to resist the Imperius Curse next class, understood?” he asked and Changkyun nodded. “I cannot give you a positive score if you keep on performing like that so, if you don’t achieve it next class, I’ll give you tutoring lessons in my office” Professor Kim made the younger sigh because he was sure he wouldn’t be able to do it. He felt a lot of pressure and the fact that the Imperius Curse didn’t make them suffer wasn’t helping at all. “Professor McGonagall told me you were the first one who managed to Disappear in Apparition class and she told me you did it perfectly” the student nodded with a toothless smile while hearing that; he felt proud of himself. “It’s a shame I missed it but I won’t miss the first time you resist the Imperius Curse. If you could Apparate so easily, you shouldn’t have trouble with this and I will put pressure on you because I know who you are and I know you are capable of extraordinary things” Professor Kim patted his shoulder. “Cheer up, Mr. Im, you are a brilliant wizard. Don’t let a dim witted curse win” he ended his speech. __‘It isn’t a dim witted curse’__  Changkyun thought but nodded anyway. “You may leave” Professor Kim turned around and picked his things up before disappearing behind the entrance door.

Changkyun stared at it for long minutes, spacing out. He didn’t know if he would be able to achieve it and he didn’t want to face Professor Kim’s tutoring lessons. The Ravenclaw student had no time with all the subjects he took that year and his Quidditch training was growing harder each week. Alana’s temper was terrible and she made them stay 3 or 4 hours each Saturday morning without noticing. She apologized right away but it didn’t erase the fact that she made them train for long hours nonstop. __‘I don’t want tutoring lessons’__  he thought, letting out a long sigh.

“Don’t worry, you’ll do it next class” Jooheon said, circling an arm around his shoulders. Changkyun fell back to reality with that and he realized Kihyun was gone, just like all Slytherin. Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Gryffindor were gone too, except for the three of them. Changkyun knew Robert wouldn’t talk to him for days but maybe it was for the best. “Let’s go eat something!” he yelled and dragged the two Ravenclaw students to the Great Hall.

 

Later that day, after their Potions class, Kihyun headed to the Grounds of Hogwarts. Professor Slughorn invited them to one of his parties on Saturday night and he said yes, just like everyone else. They didn’t feel like it that much because they were mostly focusing on the Quidditch match that would take place two weeks later but they couldn’t say no when Horace Slughorn seemed so excited to invite them. The pink haired walked behind Changkyun in silence until they finally reached the grass - the snow around it was fading and it wasn’t that cold anymore, he could wear only one scarf instead of two - and quickly reached for him when he was sure no one was looking. Changkyun got startled at first but flashed him a smile the moment he realized it was him. “Hi” the black haired muttered, walking slower to wait for Kihyun.

“Hey” the Slytherin boy replied and stared at his companion with worried eyes. Was he okay? Kihyun couldn’t tell; Changkyun had a sad expression whenever he was serious. They walked side by side, not saying anything for a few minutes. It was comfortable but at the same time he felt like breaking the silence. “Are you okay?” Kihyun finally did it and Changkyun turned to look at him.

“Yes, I’m fine” he smiled reassuringly but the pink haired could tell he was too pensive. “I just don’t get it... I’m a good wizard, right?” Kihyun nodded at that. “Then, why can’t I do it?” he asked and the Slytherin student thought for a few seconds, trying to find the right words to tell Changkyun he had to learn how to say no to people.

“Can I be honest?” Kihyun softly spoke, staring at the ground not to fall - the slope was too pronounced at that point -. Hagrid’s Hut wasn’t far from there and he had to hurry up if he wanted to tell Changkyun his thoughts. The younger gave him his approval and he opened his mouth to talk again. “You never say no, that’s why” Changkyun was about to protest but Kihyun shut him up. “I’m not finished yet” he said and the black haired pouted, making his heart race. He decided to ignore that; it happened a lot to him lately and he still wondered why. “Think about it, mudblood” Kihyun stopped because he saw Hagrid’s Hut very close from them. “When was the last time you denied something from someone? You even helped Hyungwon when we weren’t even friends” the pink haired saw his companion opening his mouth to then close it and start thinking. His eyes fixated on the ground while he brushed his chin with his index finger and Kihyun realized he gave up when he sighed.

“Fine, you are right” Changkyun admitted, starting to walk again. “What do you suggest?”

“I suggest you stop being like a house-elf and start acting like a wizard already” Kihyun harshly answered but the black haired didn’t get affected by his comments anymore and he was glad; it wasn’t like he could control those impulses of saying hurtful things.

“Well, thank you” Changkyun chuckled. “I’ll stop acting like a house-elf, I promise” the Ravenclaw student made him giggle a little and he suddenly had an idea. The pink haired had been practicing the Imperius Curse with the wizard-shaped target his parents gave him for Christmas - he had it in his dormitory at the Dungeons in case he needed it - and he thought he could help Changkyun resist it.

“I can help you practice” Kihyun spoke and the two of them stopped in front of Hagrid, joining the crowd of students. Changkyun got surprised with his words though grinned anyway, nodding in response.

“Thank you” he whispered before Hagrid started his class.

“You’re welcome”

 

 

 

Thursdays at Hogwarts were busy days for everyone except for sixth and seventh years. The former students had Charms class in the morning with Professor Flitwick and they had the rest of the day to finish their homework or practice spells they weren’t able to do yet. Changkyun decided it would be good to go to the Study Area with Belle and Jooheon - Robert was still angry at him and was hanging out with Trevor Keedy and his Gryffindor mates -. The place was crowded at that hour because all first years were running around and trying to make sure their Transfiguration essays were okay before their class. Changkyun stared at them and remembered his excitement when he was eleven and he was still discovering the magical world. Everything in his life changed when he received that letter and finally believed his father. He wanted to go running to his neighbor’s house and tell him but the elder man didn’t let him do it. His father had a hard time explaining everything to him and his mother but it turned out well. They both followed every rule and his mother was even more excited about the whole thing than him. She kept on investigating to know better and she often wished she was a witch. Changkyun smiled, remembering the support she gave him and how happy she got whenever he won a Quidditch match or whenever he achieved a new spell. He was thankful they were both supportive but he wondered if they would be like that once he told them he was gay. Kihyun wouldn’t leave his mind those days and the fact that the pink haired was planning on using the Imperius Curse against him made him nervous. __‘What if I end up going crazy and they have to lock me in St. Mungo’s Hospital?’__  he gulped audibly and shook his head, returning to his previous activity.

Changkyun moved the tiny mirror he was using so it pointed right at his face and mumbled the spell to change his hair color. Belle and Jooheon were doing the same thing but they already stopped to kiss. The Ravenclaw boy saw them staring at each other after a long lip lock and they looked so cute together, so in love. __‘Will someone ever love me like that?’__  he asked himself, having no hope. Kihyun didn’t seem ready to let the others know they were friends and Changkyun wasn’t sure about his sexuality. Maybe he was falling for a straight guy and that would be a big problem. Changkyun sighed and turned back to his mirror, finding his black hair gone, replaced by a blonde color. “Bloody hell, you look good in that color!” Jooheon suddenly said, raising his hand to make a thumbs up. “Keep it like that” he suggested and Changkyun chuckled. “I’m sure girls will be crazy about you, don’t you think, love?” he asked and the Ravenclaw boy tried his best not to roll his eyes. He never told Jooheon he was gay and he wasn’t ready to do it but he was also tired to hear those comments.

“Yeah... girls...” Belle winked at him and they both giggled.

“Hey! Why are you laughing? Am I missing something? Do you have a girlfriend? Who is it? Bryony?” Jooheon asked a lot of questions and Changkyun shook his head to answer all of them at once. Changkyun pointed with his index finger to a far away table and Jooheon gasped. Hoseok and Bryony were snogging there; the girl finally gave him a chance and thanked Changkyun about it. Alana wasn’t happy about it and she took out her rage on her Quidditch team. Changkyun was scared Reuben - their youngest player and one of the Beaters - left the team before the school year ended. Arlo wasn’t in a better condition and he was a coward most of the time so it wasn’t good Alana behaved like that. Her blonde curls looked even messier those days.

“Hoseok won Bryony from you! You are slow my friend” Jooheon shook his head in disapproval but Changkyun just ignored him, turning back to stare at his mirror. He liked that color and he was willing to try other crazy colors. He pointed at his hair with his wand and mumbled the spell again, changing it to an electric blue he used the first class they practiced changing their eyebrows only. “I think that one is a little too much” Jooheon was still staring at him and Changkyun knew he wanted to learn those spells himself but he didn’t pass his Transfiguration O.W.L exam and he couldn’t do the N.E.W.T level. Changkyun pointed at his hair once again and tried doing it nonverbally. Half of his head turned back to its black color and half remained blue. It wasn’t perfect but he was seeing some progress. “And now you look like a clown” Jooheon laughed and he did it too because he was right, his hair looked funny. Changkyun pointed at it once again and turned it back to the blonde color he tried before. It was good, he liked it, but he wouldn’t leave it like that, he wanted his black hair back.

Before he could turn his hair back to its natural color, someone sat by his side, startling him a little. It was a male from Slytherin, covering his face with his green scarf and his hair with the black hood of his robe. “Hi, mudblood” it was Kihyun and he uncovered his face a little to talk. Jooheon raised his wand in case the pink haired did something to his friend though the latter only laughed. “Do you really think you can win against me?” he asked and Jooheon growled, putting his wand down. “I won’t do anything to your precious friend, don’t worry” he assured and suddenly stared at Changkyun with wide eyes. “W-What happened to your hair?” he asked in that soft tone of voice he used whenever they were alone. “I mean, it looks hideous, turn it back to black” he returned to the other voice he used and Changkyun rolled his eyes. “I cannot look at you with that awful hair” he added and the Ravenclaw student pointed at his locks, turning them back to their natural color.

“There. Happy now?” Kihyun nodded though he didn’t seem convinced. “What do you want?” he asked and saw the pink haired placing a golden cup with vinegar in it. Professor Flitwick taught them how to turn vinegar into wine that morning and, even if Kihyun considered it a waste of his precious time, he couldn’t achieve it. Changkyun knew it was due to his lack of enthusiasm but the other liked to differ, saying those were difficult but extremely stupid spells.

“Help me with this, mudblood, I’m going crazy” Kihyun kind of begged for the first time in his life and Jooheon dropped his jaw, not understanding anything. Belle had a loving smile on her face and was contemplating the scene in front of her eyes happily. She wanted Changkyun and Kihyun to be together and she encouraged the black haired to go tell him about his feelings.

“Okay” Changkyun nodded, turning on the bench to face his companion. “You have to stop thinking this is useless” he scolded. “I know it is but you need to concentrate and pretend you believe it’s useful” he commanded and Kihyun sighed, letting out a soft ‘fine’ in response. They were practicing for a while with Jooheon’s and Belle’s eyes on them. Kihyun growled every time he couldn’t do the spell but he yelled in joy once he achieved it. “I told you!” Changkyun smiled and the pink haired was about to hug him but stopped midway. Belle’s eyes were wide and she pouted when Kihyun backed away. The latter cleared his throat, trying to pretend he wasn’t happy.

“Um, thanks, mudblood” the pink haired stood up. “I... I liked your blonde hair” he whispered in his ear and then picked his golden cup up, leaving their table and quickly going out of the Study Area.

“That was weird” Jooheon said. “Kihyun being all soft to you wasn’t something I thought I would ever see” he added and Belle chuckled.

“They are friends now” she enthusiastically spoke.

“I guess...” Changkyun answered, not sure if he should tell Jooheon about it. Kihyun was the one approaching their table so he shouldn’t get angry if he told Jooheon they were friends. “He’s nice...” he hesitantly whispered. “Sometimes” he added and the other two laughed. “What? I’m being serious” he protested but couldn’t help to chuckle. Jooheon didn’t judge him for being Kihyun’s friend and Changkyun felt good about telling him. The Gryffindor boy was very close to him and he was glad he could finally be honest about one thing.

“I’m shocked but I’m happy” Jooheon smiled and then started kissing Belle’s lips again, leaving Changkyun there staring at his own reflection and contemplating the idea of changing his hair to blonde permanently.

 

 

 

“Are you sure about this? I don’t want to end up in St. Mungo’s” Changkyun told him that Saturday afternoon when he was about to perform the Imperius Curse on him. They were inside their secret room, the snow was already gone but it was still cold outside. Kihyun was wearing one of his thick scarfs and his winter cloak while Changkyun only had his Ravenclaw robe with his blue scarf loosely hanging from his neck. They were there, in the middle of the room, standing in front of each other and staring into each other’s eyes. It was incredibly silent in there and it was the perfect place to practice spells without being bothered by anyone - just like the Room of Requirement -.

“If you don’t trust me, leave” Kihyun simply said because he was sure he could do it. He wouldn’t even suggest it if he never achieved the curse before, it was extremely dangerous and he knew the consequences. The pink haired wasn’t that crazy, he wouldn’t have done it to anyone, not even to Changkyun when they were enemies. He loved teasing people and playing pranks on them but he wouldn’t ruin someone’s life.

“You are right, I’m sorry... I just... I cannot imagine how you practiced the Imperius Curse” Changkyun chuckled and Kihyun realized he was right about doubting his abilities. The Ravenclaw boy didn’t have anything to practice a curse as dangerous as that one.

“You are right, I never told you!” the pink haired said, ready to explain how he did it so Changkyun could relax and concentrate. It was a crucial thing he could concentrate in such a difficult task. “I have a target in my dormitory. My parents gave it to me for Christmas” he smiled and his companion gasped.

“Wicked” Changkyun clapped excitedly. “I can relax now” he sighed in relieve and Kihyun nodded. “Thank you for telling me... I was dying” he took a deep breath and closed his eyes. “I’m ready” he whispered and Kihyun raised his wand, pointing at Changkyun’s face with it.

“Here I go” the pink haired fixated his eyes on the other and started thinking what he would tell him to do. __‘Go to the bench and sleep’__  he thought. __‘That will do’__  he grinned, not wishing to embarrass him more than Professor Kim already did in their Defense Against the Dark Arts class. “ _ _Imperio!__ ” he yelled and Changkyun stayed still for a few seconds. Kihyun got excited, thinking he finally achieved it but then he started walking to the bench and laid down, falling immediately asleep. Kihyun was about to end the curse but he couldn’t help to stare at him. The black haired’s face looked peaceful, just like when he was concentrated on his reading. His closed lids let him see his cute eyelashes and his black hair was covering his forehead. The Slytherin student blushed a little, remembering how much he loved Changkyun’s blonde hair but he also liked his dark locks. __‘Oh my God, stop it already’__  he scolded himself mentally and ended the curse, making Changkyun instantly wake up. The boy seemed confused and he sat up quickly, knowing he didn’t do it right.

“What did you make me do?” he asked and Kihyun’s heart raced when he recalled his companion’s sleeping face. He tried to regain his composure and not let that affect him but it was impossible when Changkyun’s eyes stared expectantly at him.

“I made you sleep on the bench... don’t worry, I won’t embarrass you” Kihyun hesitantly patted his back and the black haired smiled at him. “But you need to concentrate! We have two days and I know you can do it! Learn to say no” he slapped Changkyun’s face and he whined like a little kid. The Ravenclaw boy hated people hitting him, Kihyun learned that years ago and he took advantage of that. “I’m sorry I slapped you but could you please try harder? You aren’t doing enough” he didn’t know if that would work but he needed to try. Changkyun had to be strong and say no for once in his life.

“I swear I’m trying...” __‘oh no, not those puppy eyes again’__ Kihyun’s heart raced when he saw him and he remembered the disappointment look he flashed him the day of his birthday. He couldn’t deal with that, he was sure about it after that awful afternoon. He spent hours searching for him around the castle and he panicked once he found him at the seventh floor corridor. The pink haired knew he had to fix everything at that moment and that was the reason he acted strong, but he was truly restraining himself from kneeling on the floor and ask for forgiveness in the most embarrassing way. Yoo Kihyun was never like that, not until he realized Im Changkyun was a good person. The latter made him weak and he couldn’t fully discover the reason yet. “But I’ll try harder, I’m not giving up!” Changkyun yelled enthusiastically, erasing his sad expression from his face. “I’m ready” he closed his eyes and his body showed determination as he stood there.

Kihyun raised his wand once again, hoping Changkyun would finally achieve it. He then thought about something to order to the Ravenclaw student and took a deep breath. “ _ _Imperio!__ ” he pronounced the Imperius Curse and the black haired stayed still for a few seconds like before. Kihyun was begging he wouldn’t move from there and he had faith in him. Changkyun was a brilliant wizard and the pink haired was sure he would achieve it before having to face Professor Kim on Monday.

When Kihyun thought he finally did it, Changkyun started walking to one of the tables and took out one of his books to start reading in silence. __‘Damn, this is tougher than I thought it would be’__  the Slytherin boy approached the table and stared at the black haired. He was doing it again, unconsciously melting in the other’s face while watching him and he forced himself to stop. He ended the curse there and Changkyun blinked twice before realizing he couldn’t achieve it. “I’m sorry” he apologized and his puppy eyes returned. Kihyun tried his best not to fall for it and they kept on going.

The whole afternoon went on like that. Kihyun pronounced the curse and Changkyun did whatever he wanted to. The pink haired stared at him for a few seconds and then let him move freely. It was a little frustrating for Changkyun but Kihyun was sure he would achieve it; he had to do it, he was strong. They didn’t have any luck on Saturday though and they greeted each other with smiles before leaving to their respective Common Rooms. Kihyun changed left his winter cloak on his bed and changed to more comfortable clothes to go have dinner but Changkyun never appeared. He got worried that night and completely ignored Lucy trying to tease him about confessing her love to Hyungwon. Kihyun went to sleep with a clouded mind that night and he didn’t rest much. He wished to help Changkyun and he wouldn’t stop until he did it.

On Sunday, he woke up earlier than usual and went for a walk. The castle was completely empty and he wondered what time it was. He checked on his wristwatch and widened his eyes. It was six o’clock in the morning and the weather seemed to be extremely cold outside. He decided it would be good to go upstairs to the Room of Requirement and he headed to the seventh floor. When he was at the staircase, he bumped onto someone and he realized it was Changkyun. The latter had the same idea as him so they walked together in silence. They could hear far away sounds coming from Peeves - Hogwarts poltergeist - though they weren’t paying attention to him.

Once they reached the Room of Requirement they wished for a warm place to relax and they laid on the huge sofas that appeared in there. “Kihyun” Changkyun called from the couch placed right in front of the one he was on. “I want to try again” he said in a determined tone of voice. “If I can Apparate so easily, it makes no sense I cannot face the Imperius Curse” he added and Kihyun nodded, standing up from the couch.

“I just have to say something before I do it” the Slytherin student stopped his hand midway. “Don’t ever miss dinner again, mudblood, or I’ll go search for you to the Ravenclaw Tower” he scolded and Changkyun chuckled.

“Okay, mom” the black haired laughed and he flashed him a soft smile. They started practicing again after those words and it wasn’t going well until, one of the times Kihyun pronounced the Imperius Curse, the younger achieved it. The Slytherin boy grinned so widely his eyes were like two crescent moons and Changkyun couldn’t help to hug him. “I did it!” he yelled happily, squeezing Kihyun harder in his arms. The latter’s heart was beating furiously inside his rib cage and he blushed madly when they parted. “Thank you, Kihyun! You are brilliant, I couldn’t have done it without you!” the younger shook him from his shoulders and started performing a funny dance across the Room of Requirement. Kihyun was keeping his laughter in but he couldn’t do it for long. They both ended up laughing out loud and, the moment they shut up, Kihyun wondered what was that feeling that made his heart race and his face flush. __‘I’ve never felt this before’__  he thought, trying to act strong as always, even if he already laughed in front of his ex-enemy.

“Do you want to try again? We have to make sure you do it right tomorrow” he proposed and Changkyun nodded. Confidence irradiated from him and, after repeating the process successfully a few more times, they decided to go have breakfast. It was eight in the morning already and their stomachs were growling - mostly Changkyun’s since he didn’t have dinner -. __‘That sensitive twat’__  Kihyun thought when they were already at their respective tables with their respective friends. The Bloom sisters were staring at him with knowing smiles on their faces but he didn’t care that morning. The only thing he could think of was the cute grin Changkyun flashed him before they said goodbye and his happiness when he achieved his objective.

 

 

 

The next day, Kihyun had breakfast in a nervous state. He knew Professor Kim would make Changkyun resist the Imperius Curse again and he started growing impatient since he had to wait until Ancient Runes ended. The Ravenclaw student was surely translating Runes and Kihyun wondered how he felt. Was he confident? He needed to be confident if he wanted to do well later but, knowing Changkyun, he could guess he was dying of nervousness. The Great Hall was almost empty since most of the students were in their respective classrooms. Only sixth and seventh year students remained there, some of them studying and some of them chatting. It was incredible how silent the Great Hall was and Kihyun loved it. “Kihyun” Hyungwon called his name when he was spacing out and made him fall back to reality. “Do you think telling Changkyun encouraging words before Defense Against the Dark Arts will help?” he asked and the pink haired frowned. Why was Hyungwon asking him that? He didn’t know anything about their secret encounters but maybe he just wanted someone’s opinion. “I want to hug him, is it too much?” Hyungwon made another question and Kihyun sighed. The latter was surprised at how whipped Hyungwon was around Changkyun. He couldn’t believe his father was a Death Eater and was in Azkaban when he acted like that.

“Hyungwon, do I look like that mudblood to you?” the pink haired said, eating more from his golden plate. “How could I possibly know?” he stared at his friend, hoping the Bloom sisters wouldn’t open their mouths. The last days they had been calm and he liked it that way. Having them all day long teasing was annoying as hell.

“You don’t look like him but I wanted your opinion... Lucy, what do you think?” Hyungwon turned to look at Lucy.

“I think it’s a good idea. Why don’t we all hug him?” she said and flashed Kihyun a quick glance to see his reaction. The pink haired growled, pretending he didn’t want to. He was secretly wishing to hug Changkyun a thousand more times after the last hug they shared but he wouldn’t admit it. The Ravenclaw boy’s arms felt so right around his waist- __‘I did not just think that!’__  he whined inside his mind and tried to erase the memory of Changkyun’s arms securely circling his waist. He crossed his arms over his chest and looked away; his resting bitch face was showing and the Bloom sisters rolled their eyes.

“That’s a good idea, we can all hug him except for Kihyun because he doesn’t want to” Hyungwon smiled and stood up. “Let’s go!” he excitedly yelled and the other three followed him through the Great Hall, walking in between the long wooden tables where some students kept on studying or chatting. Kihyun’s heart beat faster every step he took and he felt even more nervous when they reached the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. The first floor corridor was crowded with his classmates, who were waiting for Professor Kim.

“I can’t wait to see Changkyun doing embarrassing things in front of everyone” Kihyun heard Fergus’ voice from afar and had the strong wish of using the Cruciatus Curse against him. It was the first time he felt that way when someone talked crap about Changkyun, he used to love it but the Ravenclaw boy didn’t deserve any of that and he was sure about it after getting to know him better.

“I think you’ll be the embarrassed one after Changkyun shuts your mouth, Fergus” Hyungwon yelled and Fergus stuck his tongue out at him, laughing loudly right after together with some of the Slytherin students. “Laugh all you want, I trust Changkyun” Hyungwon kept on defending the black haired and Kihyun was glad he did. He wanted to do it himself but he couldn’t, it went against all his principles and his mouth wouldn’t budge when his mind was denying it that much. Fergus laughed again, shutting up only when Changkyun appeared from the staircase together with Belle and Jooheon. Kihyun saw Robert with Trevor and Minhyuk talking at a corner and he realized he caused Robert to fight with Changkyun. He felt a little bad, even if he didn’t like Robert at all.

The moment Hyungwon saw Changkyun, he ran in his direction and hugged him. Kihyun covered his mouth with his palm as he chuckled, unable to stop himself. The expression on Changkyun’s face was extremely funny and he got even more surprised when Lucy and Hollie hugged him too. __‘I want to do it too’__  he thought though only waved his hand at the Ravenclaw student, making a thumbs up to wish him luck - when no one was looking at him -. The black haired nodded his head with a smile and Kihyun relaxed. Changkyun felt confident, he could tell by how he behaved.

Professor Kim arrived minutes later and he made them get into the classroom. They all sat in their respective desks since they would learn some more things about Patronuses before practicing the Patronus Charm. Professor Kim called Changkyun to go up front and pointed at him with his wand. “I’ll give you three chances today, is that okay with you, Mr. Im?” Kim Jongwoon seemed to be enjoying it just like every time they had to resist the Imperius Curse. Changkyun nodded and closed his eyes, trying to concentrate as much as he could. “Three” the elder man started counting. “Two” he paused and the black haired took a deep breath. “One” Professor Kim moved his dark green robe backwards. “ _ _Imperio!__ ” he said and all the students stared expectantly at Changkyun. They were all wishing to see him doing embarrassing things but the black haired didn’t move, not an inch. Professor Kim smiled - in his weird way - and lowered his wand, proudly staring at Changkyun. “It seems I needed to put pressure on you, Mr. Im” Kim Jongwoon motioned with his hand for his student to go sit. “Well done” Changkyun smiled at that and went to his desk next to Kihyun’s.

“Thank you, Kihyun” the Ravenclaw student whispered in the pink haired’s ear while he took out his book from his backpack.

“You’re welcome, mudblood” Kihyun whispered back and they both paid attention to the class from that point.

 

 

 

The day they were waiting for finally arrived. It was Saturday and their most important Quidditch match was about to take place. Ravenclaw vs Slytherin was something everyone in Hogwarts enjoyed watching. The two strongest teams playing against each other and making the game fun and dynamic. Changkyun had mixed feelings that morning because he was anxious to win but he was also scared he wouldn’t be able to catch the Snitch before Kihyun. He liked the pink haired a lot and it was a good thing but he made him weak. Being weak in a Quidditch match was unacceptable, more when Alana was yelling at them every Saturday for almost a month. If he made their team lose, Alana would cut his balls off, even if they still had a possibility of winning the Quidditch Cup. So there he was, sitting on the Ravenclaw table trying to eat something before he fainted, feeling an intense pressure. Belle was worriedly staring at him and he wondered how he looked like. “You are pale” the girl touched his forehead. “Are you okay? I’ve never seen you like this before” she softly spoke but Changkyun assured he was fine, not wishing to make a big fuss.

“Hey, let’s go” Alana yelled, patting Changkyun’s and Belle’s back while walking in between Slytherin’s and Ravenclaw’s table. “Grab your brooms and follow me, I have something to say before we start” she added and left without turning back. Changkyun gulped nervously and quickly glanced at the Slytherin table. Kihyun was making his team stand up too and they all headed to the pitch too. The two teams walked through the Grounds of Hogwarts, not saying a word until they finally reached their destiny. The Quidditch pitch was still empty but they could spot students already walking in their direction. Alana stopped before guiding her team to the dressing rooms and wished Kihyun good luck. The latter did the same with an arrogant smile on his face and Changkyun knew Alana got angrier after seeing his attitude.

The good thing about that Saturday morning was that it was sunny and warm. Winter was slowly leaving and they would be able to easily fly around in that weather. Changkyun and Belle followed their captain to the dressing rooms and sat there with their blue Quidditch robes already on. Alana walked around the room, impatiently flipping her captain badge with her fingers. “Okay, listen up” the girl said in a serious tone and they all crossed their fingers behind their backs so she wouldn’t start yelling. “We are finally playing against Slytherin and we have to win” she spoke, keeping the same tone of voice and making everyone sigh in relieve. “Kihyun isn’t stupid, he’s actually very smart and I’m sure he has a brilliant strategy planned” she went on and slowly approached Changkyun, who panicked again. His heart was beating so fast inside his chest he believed it would explode. “I’m not trying to put pressure on you, Changkyun, but if you don’t catch the Snitch you are out of the team” she said and the black haired widened his eyes.

“W-what?! But Kihyun is really good and I cannot promise anything when our abilities are pretty much the same!” Changkyun tried to make her reason but it was impossible when they were about to play against Slytherin. Alana flashed him her scariest glare and he decided it would be good to shut up. Maybe she would regret her words later, she was just stressed out and couldn’t reason. “I’ll try my best, captain” he lowered his gaze to his lap and Belle caressed his back in a comforting manner to help him calm down. Alana talked more but, this time, to remind them about their tactics. Their two youngest players were frightened because it was their first time playing against Slytherin and Alana scared them a lot with her negative words. Arlo was squeezing his robe with shaking hands and Reuben was in the verge of tears but they couldn’t do much when they heard Madam Hooch talking. “Don’t be scared, it’s not as terrible as she says” Changkyun whispered when they were waiting for the wooden doors to open and saw the boys relaxing a little.

The atmosphere around the Ravenclaw team was tense. Seth was staring at Alana’s nape with pure hate and Theodore didn’t seem eager to play. Changkyun knew they had low possibilities of winning but he would surely give his best. He wondered if Alana was still angry at Bryony for getting Hoseok for her but she seriously needed to stop taking out her rage on them; they didn’t have the fault Hoseok liked another girl. Changkyun’s mind was clouded in thoughts and Kihyun didn’t stay out of them. __‘Please don’t smile at me’__  he begged inside his head because Kihyun’s smile made him weak. __‘Treat me like you did on my birthday’__  he was kind of praying the Slytherin boy acted like a prick so it was easier to beat him.

Before he could think more, the wooden doors opened and they all kicked the ground to then fly in a fast speed around the pitch. Students from all houses were around it cheering for them. They had their blue and green flags together with huge signs. It was like any other Quidditch match and Changkyun tried to have that in mind so he was able to relax. Slytherin was already around the pitch, showing fantastic tricks, and he spotted Kihyun doing a dangerous turn. Changkyun admired him for a few seconds though he realized he wasn’t doing anything and Alana would definitely murder him if she saw him. The black haired started going as fast as he could with his new broom, which was a lot better than the old one he had before, and did some tricks. Madam Hooch called them after they finished their performances and stood in the middle of the field with the Quaffle in her arms. “As I always say, I want a clean game” she yelled so everyone could hear her. “Shake Mrs. Rash’s hand, Mr. Yoo” she ordered and the two captains shook hands. Madam Hooch opened the Snitch’s tiny flap and untied the Bludgers, letting the three balls fly around freely. “When you hear my whistle” she counted to three and blew her whistle, throwing the Quaffle up in the air. Alana quickly went to keep the three rings and Kihyun went higher in the air, just like Changkyun. Belle won the Quaffle over Hollie and she started dodging the Slytherin Chasers until she reached the rings. She threw the Quaffle with strength but Ethan caught it and passed it to Lottie. “And Ethan catches the Quaffle before Belle scores!” Minhyuk, the commentator, yelled. “This match will be interesting, ladies and gentlemen” he continued. “These two teams have brilliant tactics and brilliant players, it won’t be easy” Minhyuk kept on talking and Changkyun focused on finding the Snitch.

The field was illuminated by the bright sunlight and it wouldn’t be hard to find the golden ball. When it flew around, a sparkle could be seen from afar and Changkyun had a good vision. The Seeker went through the entire pitch and saw Kihyun doing the same thing. Minutes were flying away and Alana seemed impatient. She caught almost 10 shots from Hollie, Lottie and Olivia, just like Ethan caught many shots from Belle, Theodore and Arlo. None of the teams managed to score yet and it wasn’t a good sign. “Aaand... Hollie doesn’t score” Minhyuk sighed. “I wonder which team will score first” the Gryffindor student brushed his chin while thinking. “I bet on Ravenclaw, what do you guys say?” he asked and Changkyun saw Kihyun rolling his eyes. As always, Gryffindor students hated Slytherin students and he knew Minhyuk preferred Ravenclaw. The Slytherin students - the ones cheering for their team - started yelling insults at the commentator and McGonagall had to scold them.

Long minutes went by and Changkyun was growing nervous. What if he made his team lose? Would Alana truly kick him out of the team? His thoughts made him panic again but it faded when Kihyun flew by his side and flashed him the cutest smile he ever saw. “I won’t go easy on you” he whispered and the black haired chuckled. While they were staring at each other, slowly getting apart, Belle managed to confuse Ethan and scored. “Bloody hell!” Kihyun yelled. “Ethan, concentrate! What are you doing?!” his Keeper apologized but then Hollie scored too and Kihyun seemed to be calmer. Alana had fire on her eyes and she looked like some kind of crazy demon keeping those rings.

After each team managed to make 40 points, Changkyun could feel the pressure. Kihyun was flying a few meters away from him and then they both stopped, staring down in search for the Snitch. __‘Where is it?’__  the Ravenclaw Seeker thought, desperately moving his eyes around the pitch. He didn’t know why but Kihyun caught his attention at some point and he stared at him, admiring his face. The Slytherin Seeker stared back at him when he realized it and Changkyun didn’t know what came into him when he waved his hand at the other. Kihyun chuckled and waved back, not fully understanding the black haired’s intentions. They locked their gazes for long minutes until Changkyun had the brilliant idea of making funny faces. The pink haired was trying not to laugh but, after a while of joking, Changkyun saw him widening his eyes in fear. “Changkyun!!” Kihyun’s voice echoed around the pitch. __‘He called me Changkyu-’__  before he could even think about it, a Bludger hit his head and everything went completely dark around him.


	12. Hospital visits

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi again!!
> 
> I know I left you hanging last time but here's your reward for waiting haha :)
> 
> Thank you for all the cheering comments and all the support!! <3 it means a lot to me ^^
> 
> Enjoy!

After Kihyun caught the Snitch and finished the match - as fast as he could - the two teams headed to the Hospital Wing. The pink haired couldn’t focus after the incident and, even if they didn’t get as much points as he wanted, he couldn’t care less when Changkyun was unconscious. The possibility of winning the Quidditch Cup wasn’t a priority in his mind, he could only think about the Bludger hitting Changkyun’s head and making him fall from his broom. Kihyun saw everything in slow motion as if it was a movie. Hyungwon tried to stop the Bludger from hitting Changkyun at the same time Seth did and they both crashed, almost falling from their brooms too. They managed to keep on playing but no one seemed to be completely focused. When the Slytherin Seeker caught the Snitch, Alana didn’t look angry and she ordered her team to go to the Hospital Wing immediately.

The first floor was full of students piling up to see what happened and they had to push everyone to reach the Hospital. Madam Pomfrey was trying to make them leave because she couldn’t have a crowd outside while she was trying to heal students and she made the two Quidditch teams stop midway. Jooheon and Robert - Kihyun was glad the Gryffindor prick finally realized he was being stupid and went to see Changkyun, leaving his pride aside - were already by Changkyun’s bed and the pink haired’s heart clenched at the sight of him, laying unconscious on a hospital bed. “Only 6 visitors at a time! I won’t repeat it!” Madam Pomfrey yelled and they stared at each other. Belle instantly ran into the Hospital, not waiting for them to decide. Hyungwon followed closely, apparently thinking they were competing or something, and Alana entered the room too. She was the captain of the team and she somehow felt responsible for it.

“Kihyun! Go in” Hollie desperately pushed him and Lucy arrived seconds later to help her. They weren’t teasing him, they both seemed worried and the Slytherin Seeker could do nothing against them. Kihyun felt insecure for the first time in his life and he didn’t know if he wanted to see Changkyun with all those students surrounding his bed. Robert didn’t seem happy when he shakily entered the room and approached the bed. The pink haired was squeezing his broom’s wooden surface with one hand and the Snitch with the other. He didn’t even realize he still had it until McGonagall appeared and took it from him.

“How’s Changkyun?” the headmistress asked Madam Pomfrey about it.

“He will be okay, don’t worry, Minerva” the healer was known to be very good and she never failed. “He may be unconscious for a few hours or maybe days but it is a normal thing. Nothing to worry about” she went to another bed and gave a first year student some potion. The Hospital only had two more students and Kihyun realized Madam Pomfrey managed to kick everyone out of the corridor. The two Quidditch teams remained there though and they seemed anxious. The Bloom sisters were tiptoeing to see what was happening and Theodore was trying to calm Reuben down. The youngest member of the Ravenclaw team never saw anyone getting hurt during a match and he was in the verge of tears. Kihyun stared at them for a few seconds, not wishing to see Changkyun in that state anymore because he was scared he would break down in front of everyone. He needed to act strong and pretend he didn’t care, even if his heart was beating furiously inside his chest and his eyes were starting to get wet and betray him.

“It was your fault! I saw you back there!” Robert pointed at Kihyun, screaming like a crazy person. Alana, Jooheon and Belle turned to look at him in confusion but no one believed Robert’s words. The pink haired was so startled he didn’t react at first; his body was shaking so much he didn’t know if he’d be able to fight. “You two were talking! What did you say yo him, you prick?!” Robert pushed him and he almost fell on the floor. Hyungwon quickly stepped in between them and grabbed the Gryffindor boy’s arms in an attempt to stop the discussion but he was extremely skinny and weak, unlike Robert. “Let go of me, twat!” he took out his wand from his pocket and threw a curse at Kihyun. Thankfully, the Slytherin Seeker had his wand in his Quidditch robe’s pocket and blocked it successfully.

“No fighting in my Hospital! You three, out!” Madam Pomfrey pointed at the door and Robert clenched his teeth and his fists before obeying. Hyungwon seemed confused and he whined, trying to tell the woman they weren’t fighting. “I don’t care, Mr. Chae. Out!” the two Slytherin boys went slowly to the entrance door of the Hospital and Kihyun got startled when Robert pushed him again.

“Fight back, coward!” the Gryffindor student seemed eager to fight but he wasn’t. His mind was still thinking about Changkyun’s expression when he called him by his name and he wondered if he would remember that the moment he woke up. Kihyun didn’t know what came into him but he didn’t like showing his weak self that much. Changkyun was the person who saw him like that more times than anyone else and he didn’t know how to feel about it. __‘He helps me relax and be myself... it should mean something, right?’__  he thought, hearing Robert’s voice as if he was far away. “HEY!” the guy yelled and Kihyun finally reacted raising his wand to block every curse Robert threw at him. “Where you trying to kill Changkyun?!” he kept on saying stupid things and the pink haired wanted to run away and lock himself inside his Common Room.

“ _ _Silencio!__ ” Kihyun used the Silencing Charm to shut Robert up. “ _ _Expelliarmus!__ ” he used the Disarming Charm, making his opponent’s wand fly away from his hand. He then used the Jelly Legs Curse and ran from there, being followed by Hyungwon. He knew Robert was calling him coward inside his mind and he knew the two Quidditch teams were staring at him in confusion but he didn’t feel like looking back. Lucy and Hollie surely entered the Hospital Wing the moment they left and he thought it was better that way. The two boys kept on going until they reached the Dungeons and Hyungwon begged him to stop so he could breathe. Kihyun listened to him for the first time in years and stopped, waiting for his friend. Hyungwon had no air in his lungs and he was struggling to stay up. They both sat there at the stone floor and said nothing for long minutes.

“I know it wasn’t you” Hyungwon assured him, patting his thigh in a comforting manner. “I saw you trying to warn him” he surprised Kihyun with those words and he widened his eyes in shock. Hyungwon saw them? Would he judge him? “I tried to stop the Bludger but Seth had the same idea and we crashed” he chuckled. “Don’t worry, Madam Hooch said he’ll be fine” the taller one smiled and Kihyun found it extremely weird. Since when was Hyungwon that nice to him? They were always bothering each other, making each other angry.

“I-it doesn’t matter” Kihyun took courage to speak, he needed to be strong. “We won, right?” he asked and Hyungwon rolled his eyes. The pink haired didn’t feel ready to let Hyungwon know how much he truly cared about Changkyun so he stood up after the slim boy nodded, heading to the Common Room before Robert went there to check if he was walking around.

 

Belle was sitting on Jooheon’s lap, playing with his hair while they visited Changkyun at the Hospital. They went to have lunch after Robert’s little scene and they got back right after. Hyungwon, Hollie, Lucy and Robert - who wouldn’t stop glaring at Hyungwon - were there too and they were chatting. It was odd to have an unconscious Changkyun in between their chairs but they wouldn’t stay in silence all the afternoon. Belle wondered where Kihyun was and she wished to punch Robert’s face for making him leave. The Slytherin student hated showing how much he cared about Changkyun and Belle knew he struggled to enter the Hospital earlier. It was all Robert’s fault; that Gryffindor knob head always thought he was right and he was never right.

After a while, Robert left, not taking it anymore. Hyungwon stuck his tongue out at him when he turned his back at them and they all giggled silently not to be heard. “Prick” Hyungwon whispered. “It wasn’t Kihyun! I saw him this morning and he was bloody affected” the tall one circled an arm around Lucy’s shoulders while talking. “His body was shaking and he was extremely pale, I never saw him like that before” Hyungwon told everyone and the three girls shared knowing glances. They were sure Kihyun liked Changkyun as much as Changkyun liked him but they also knew Kihyun wasn’t easy when it came to admit things. “He even forgot to return the Snitch to Madam Hooch and before I went to the Great Hall with you” he paused to point at the Bloom sisters. “I found him laying on his bed, spacing out while staring at his bracelet” Hyungwon was curious and the girls could tell he wanted to know more. He stood up after saying those words and grabbed Changkyun’s wrist, revealing his Ravenclaw bracelet which matched perfectly with Kihyun’s Slytherin one. “His aunt didn’t give it to him, right?” Hyungwon turned to look at the girls and the three of them shook their heads. Jooheon was as confused as Hyungwon and he stayed quiet, listening carefully to what the Slytherin boy was talking about. “Are they a couple?” he hesitantly asked but the girls shook their heads again.

“They just like each other” Belle smiled. “They are so adorable” she chuckled when she saw Hyungwon’s and Jooheon’s expressions.

“Why didn’t he tell me? I thought he liked Megan Scott because he didn’t want to give Bryony an opportunity” Jooheon finally opened his mouth and the three girls laughed out loud. They couldn’t believe how dumb those two were. It was obvious Changkyun and Kihyun liked each other. They suddenly stopped fighting and they disappeared at the same time almost every day. Also, Kihyun went upstairs every time he left and the Slytherin Common Room was down the Dungeons. Besides, Lucy saw Changkyun making Kihyun laugh at the Quidditch match and getting distracted. The Ravenclaw boy never got distracted before, much less if it was against Slytherin they were playing.

“Why would he like Megan? I don’t think Changkyun knows she exists” Belle frowned at the lack of intuition her boyfriend had. “Didn’t you suspect anything?” she asked and the two boys shook their heads. “Boys” the three girls muttered in unison and shook their heads in disbelief. The sun was starting to disappear and the Hospital’s candles started shining. They were left alone in there and they made sure no one was listening to their private conversation. “You know, Heony” Belle pecked her boyfriend’s cheek. “Changkyun never told you anything because he thought you and Robert would judge him for being gay” she explained and Jooheon seemed hurt.

“Why would I judge him? He’s my friend and that won’t change” the Gryffindor student sighed. “But he was right about Robert... maybe he wouldn’t like that” Jooheon understood Changkyun’s doubts.

“Hey, promise you won’t say anything about this matter” Hollie suddenly said, directing her words at Hyungwon and Jooheon. “Kihyun thinks we don’t know he likes Changkyun” she added. “Or maybe he doesn’t know either...” she reasoned, thinking about it for a few seconds. “Nope, he definitely doesn’t know yet” she said and the other girls chuckled.

“We won’t say anything, we have to let them be” Jooheon smiled and Hyungwon nodded in agreement. The five of them stared at Changkyun for a few seconds to then change the subject, chatting about different things until it was dinner time. Belle was surprised not to see Kihyun at the Great Hall for dinner but she was sure the boy would visit the Ravenclaw student when they were all sleeping.

 

Kihyun was staring at his bed’s curtained roof in silence, touching his bracelet delicately with his fingers. The Slytherin boy had been there the whole day, thinking about Changkyun and contemplating what to do. It was already dark outside and the lake looked extremely scary through the window. Kihyun only opened his curtains twice to check on the others and he realized he had been doing nothing the whole day. That wasn’t a problem because it was Saturday but he felt useless. __‘We won’__  he thought though his heart ached. __‘We won because he wasn’t there’__  his mind started torturing him again and he checked on his wristwatch to see how late it was. __‘3am’__  he read, getting shocked at how fast time passed. He entered the boys dormitory at 12am on Saturday and it was already 3am on Sunday. Kihyun opened the curtain a third time and saw everyone sleeping soundly. He sat up, grabbing his black and green robe to then put it on. He wore his shoes too and started walking to the Common Room, seeing those dim lights illuminating it from afar. The place was empty and he was quick to get out, thinking about going to the Hospital Wing. __‘I hope he’s awake already’__  he crossed his fingers while he walked through the deserted Dungeons.

The castle looked creepy at night, something Kihyun always loved, but all those mixed feelings he had made him wish there was more light around. “ _ _Lumos__ ” he mumbled, going upstairs in silence and hoping he wouldn’t find any professor or prefect patrolling the corridors. When he reached the first floor, he had to hide behind a pillar and turn off the light of his wand not to be seen. Professor Kim was there, trying to enter the empty Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. Kihyun watched him until he disappeared behind the door and he kept on going.

The Hospital Wing had a single candle on and he could see Madam Pomfrey’s dormitory already locked. Kihyun softly stepped inside the Hospital, tiptoeing not to be heard. Poppy Pomfrey had a good hearing after all those years of patients trying to move from their beds when they didn’t have to or students breaking in at night to see their friends. “ _ _Muffliato”__  Kihyun whispered, pointing at the closed door with his wand. That spell made others unable to hear him so he started walking normally after doing it. Changkyun’s bed was almost at the end of the long room and he realized the boy wasn’t awake when he reached his side. Kihyun sat on a chair next to him and stared at his peaceful face with a painful knot in his chest. If he hadn’t gotten distracted he wouldn’t had been hit by that Bludger. “I guess the two of us couldn’t have a lucky charm” he whispered, hesitantly grabbing Changkyun’s hand and lifting his sleeve a little to see his bracelet. The pink haired intertwined their fingers and stayed there, just staring at the unconscious boy. “What does this mean?” Kihyun guided Changkyun’s hand to his chest and placed it on his beating heart. “I cannot like you... right?” he felt so stupid talking to a sleeping person but he needed answers and he knew he wouldn’t be able to ask him when he woke up. He needed to ask away so he could feel his chest light again. “You are a half-blood boy and my father keeps on telling me I have to marry a pure blood girl” he chuckled dryly. “And I cannot like a boy if I’m a boy, that’s wrong” he sighed. “Don’t you have the same opinion? Your Muggle mother must think differently but your father seems pretty much like mine” Kihyun remembered all the times Changkyun’s father went to his house. He knew his own father wouldn’t go to a Muggle property and maybe that was the reason the black haired didn’t know their fathers were friends.

Kihyun sometimes wondered if his father had been a Death Eater just like Hyungwon’s. The Slytherin boy never saw his left arm and he wasn’t sure if the Death Eaters still had the Dark Mark after the Dark Lord disappeared. He had to ask Hyungwon about that later; it was a question that wouldn’t leave his mind. Maybe his father didn’t want him to be with half-blood or mudblood people because he thought the same way as Voldemort. The pink haired stared at Changkyun. “You make me break all my dumb rules, did you know that?” he asked and smiled, thinking maybe it wasn’t something bad to disobey his father a little. Before he could say anything else, he heard a noise from Madam Pomfrey’s room and he let go of Changkyun’s hand, covering him well with the sheets before leaving the Hospital Wing in silence.

 

On Sunday morning, Kihyun went to have breakfast with his friends because he felt a lot better after ‘talking’ to Changkyun in the Hospital. His chest didn’t ache anymore and he could finally relax and get some sleep after he returned to his dormitory. The pink haired got dressed in casual clothes and hanged his wand from his neck - with a golden necklace his father made specially for that -. He didn’t use his Slytherin robe because he wouldn’t go out that day; he had a lot of homework to do and he would stay in his Common Room, feeding with the darkness of the room. Kihyun knew it was already late in the morning because everyone was gone. They were surely at the Great Hall and he couldn’t wait to get there. He needed to hear his friends’ voices and forget what happened the day before for a while. He would surely go visit Changkyun late at night but he had things to do and it was very important he concentrated.

Kihyun went out of the Slytherin Common Room and walked through the Dungeons in silence. He then remembered he missed Slughorn’s party the night before and he wondered if their professor would be angry at them. Horace Slughorn wasn’t the type to get angry though, he was very understanding and Kihyun knew he was worried about Changkyun. If he was a good person, he would cancel his party.

When he reached the Entrance Hall, he felt a little taken aback. It was as if he’d been locked inside his dormitory for days and it was weird to be surrounded by a crowd of loud students. Kihyun walked slowly in between the long wooden tables and he waved his hand at the Bloom sisters. Hyungwon turned around when the two girls greeted him back and the three of them smiled brightly. The pink haired was glad they weren’t mad at him for disappearing and, the moment he sat down, they all offered him food. All Gryffindor was turning around to look at him and they were whispering things, criticizing him. Kihyun wasn’t surprised, Robert was extremely angry at him the day before and he surely told everyone he was a soulless prick. The truth was he never planned something like that, not even when he hated Changkyun. He was a clean player, he liked winning for his talent, not because he cheated - there was no rule against hitting someone with a Bludger but Kihyun considered it tasteless and barbarian -.

“Did you sleep well?” Hollie asked and he nodded. Hyungwon wouldn’t stop staring at him and he was getting uncomfortable but he decided to just eat in silence. Jooheon was right behind them, together with Belle, and Kihyun felt relieved to know at least Changkyun’s closest friends didn’t hate him. “Don’t worry, only Gryffindor students hate you” Hollie said as if she read his mind. “Alana came here minutes ago to thank Hyungwon for trying to stop the Bludger and she sent you a message” Hollie cleared her throat before going on. “She said they don’t believe a single word Robert is saying” Kihyun grinned toothlessly at that and nodded, eating some more. His appetite was back and he realized he was starving.

“Hey” the pink haired hesitantly spoke. “I-is he” he took courage. “Is h-he awake?” he finally asked and thought he saw hearts in Hyungwon’s eyes. __‘What’s wrong with this guy?’__  he thought, recalling how well he treated him the day before and how excited he was to know he actually cared about Changkyun.

“No, he isn’t” Lucy answered. “We went to see him before coming here and he was still bloody pale” his three friends were watching his reactions, he was sure of that. He tried his best to show his most convincing poker face and nodded. “You didn’t go to the Hospital Wing yet?” Lucy asked but Kihyun smelled something fishy in her tone of voice. The Bloom sisters had special powers to read people and he wasn’t surprised they already suspected he went on his own not to be seen.

“N-no” Kihyun’s stuttered a little, cursing mentally. “I don’t know if I want to go... I mean, Changk-the mudblood isn’t awake yet and I won’t be able to talk to him” he almost messed everything up by calling him by his name and that didn’t go unnoticed. His three friends had hearts in their eyes - not only Hyungwon - and were staring at him with a loving aura around them. __‘Changkyun is unconscious, he couldn’t have told Belle about it’__  he thought but started panicking. Maybe the Ravenclaw Seeker wasn’t unconscious anymore and he was pretending when he went to see him. __‘I’m screwed’__  he thought and started begging mentally he didn’t hear his extremely cheesy words.

“Sounds fair” Hollie nodded. “You can go when he wakes up then” she added and they ate in silence after that. All eyes were still on him and the best he could do was ignore them.

 

It was getting dark outside and Kihyun was still inside his Common Room, writing a long essay Professor Sprout sent them last Tuesday. He didn’t realize how much he postponed his written work until that moment and he regretted not doing anything else than practicing during the week. His mind had been clouded with the Quidditch match against Ravenclaw and also his Transfiguration spells. It wasn’t that he couldn’t get those right, he just had a lot of fun changing his features and his hair color. He went to the Room of Requirement with Changkyun last Thursday and they laughed at each other while practicing. Kihyun felt so relaxed at those times; he enjoyed hanging out with the black haired a lot, more after they decided to put a label on their relationship. They were friends and Kihyun believed they made a great team together. __‘Ah... why do I miss him this much?’__  he thought lifting his gaze from his parchment to find Hyungwon falling asleep on his book. “Hey” he snapped his fingers and the tall one jumped in surprise. “You are falling asleep, Hyungwon. Go to bed already” the four of them had dinner a while ago but having his stomach full seemed to affect Hyungwon to the point he couldn’t keep his eyes open.

“You are right” Hyungwon yawned. “Good night” he added and headed to the boys’ dormitory. The Bloom sisters were still there just like some third and fifth year students but the Common Room started slowly emptying until it was just the three of them, Fergus and Leo. The former boy was happy because he thought Kihyun was responsible for Changkyun’s accident and was suddenly treating him better though the pink haired couldn’t stand him. Fergus was annoying and he had to tell him to piss off several times before he finally understood and left the Common Room. Leo followed right behind and the Bloom sisters rolled their eyes when they disappeared from their sight.

“Hey, we are going to sleep too” Lucy stood up from her chair and yawned. “Don’t go to bed late, we have class tomorrow” she winked, confusing Kihyun a little.

“Yes, mom” the pink haired answered in his usual tone of voice, pretending he didn’t notice how the sisters looked at him. They clearly knew he would leave the room in a few minutes to go check on Changkyun but, if he didn’t admit it, they couldn’t be a hundred percent sure. The two girls raised their brows twice in unison and he ignored them, giving his essay the last details while they left to their dormitory. He couldn’t find any more information about the Venomous Tentacula so he gave up. He was sure he would get an ‘Outstanding’, he wasn’t worried at all. The pink haired placed his parchment inside his Herbology book and made it levitate to his bed. He then took his wand - which was still hanging from his neck - and pocketed his necklace. He needed the wand to illuminate his way because the castle was extremely dark at night.

Kihyun waited a few minutes until it was 1am to leave. He softly opened the Common Room’s entrance door and walked around the empty Dungeons like he did the night before. Everything was quiet and, this time, he saw Professor Slughorn returning to his office. The old man was in the kitchen and Kihyun chuckled when he noticed a tray full of sweets on his hands. He hid behind a wall until there was no trace of him and then went on, reaching the Hospital Wing pretty quickly. “ _ _Muffliato__ ” he whispered, pointing at Madam Pomfrey’s room. Changkyun was still unconscious, laying on the hospital bed just like he left him the night before. He looked pale, Lucy was right, and it made Kihyun worry even more. What if he didn’t wake up at all? The pink haired sat on the same chair placed by Changkyun’s bed and uncovered his hand, intertwining their fingers like he did before. Thankfully, he wasn’t cold; his skin felt warm against his palm. Kihyun stared at his peaceful face and smiled. “Why don’t you wake up?” he asked, begging Changkyun would open his eyes that night. He was going crazy and he missed the Ravenclaw boy. He wanted to be with him again, practicing spells and helping each other with their essays. “I miss you” he whispered, regretting it right away when Changkyun growled and squeezed his hand.

“Kihyun?” the deep voice sounded raspy after all those hours the boy was unconscious and Kihyun blushed when he opened his eyes, immediately turning to look at him. “Hey” the Ravenclaw student rubbed his eyes with his free hand and stretched his body a little before realizing their fingers were latched together. Changkyun stared at their intertwined hands and a small smile appeared on his face. Kihyun blushed deeper and he hoped the darkness of the place would make it invisible.

“Hi” the pink haired replied, smiling as well. He didn’t feel like hiding his happiness; he had been waiting for that moment to happen and he wouldn’t hold back. “How are you feeling? Does it hurt?” he asked and Changkyun frowned.

“A Bludger hit my head, right?” Kihyun nodded at that. “I didn’t imagine it, then” Changkyun stared at the stone ceiling for a few seconds to then fixate his eyes back on the male sitting next to his bed. “You” he paused. “Did you call me Changkyun?” he asked and Kihyun’s blush returned to his face.

“N-no! I...” the pink haired panicked and tried to deny it but he couldn’t. Changkyun knew it because the Bludger hit his head after that and he surely heard him right. “Yes... I did” Kihyun admitted and he felt the Ravenclaw student’s hand squeezing his again. “What? Are you gonna make fun of me?” he took courage but it flew away when Changkyun shook his head. Kihyun’s heart was beating fast inside his chest; the sight of those puppy eyes staring back at him was impossible to ignore and he knew right away what he felt. For the first time in his life he was certain he liked someone and that someone was a half-blood boy, not a pure blood girl. A half-blood boy who made him laugh and feel relaxed, a half-blood boy with a pure heart and a brilliant brain.

“What time is it?” Changkyun interrupted his thoughts and he realized he had been spacing out for a few minutes.

“Half past one in the morning... it’s already Monday” Kihyun answered and the black haired widened his eyes.

“For real?” Changkyun was surprised and he couldn’t blame him. He lost his consciousness on Saturday morning before the Quidditch match ended. Kihyun nodded in response and the Ravenclaw student sat up a little. “I’ve never gotten distracted before” his deep voice echoed around the empty Hospital. “But I had fun” he added and Kihyun couldn’t believe he said that.

“You had fun hitting your head? How smart of you, Changkyun” the pink haired rolled his eyes and completely missed Changkyun’s satisfied smile at the mention of his name. Kihyun didn’t know why but he couldn’t call him mudblood anymore after the accident, much less with those eyes staring back at him at that moment.

“I didn’t mean that... I had fun with you” Kihyun got startled when he heard those words. “I used to get so stressed out when we were about to play against you but not this time” Changkyun explained before the pink haired asked anything. “I was nervous at first because of Alana... but then you told me you wouldn’t go easy on me and I relaxed because I knew you were joking - yeah, I can tell when you are joking now -” they both chuckled and Kihyun hoped the other couldn’t hear his heart because it was about to explode. “And, since I couldn’t find the bloody Snitch, I decided to start joking too... it didn’t go well but I had fun” he said and the Slytherin boy finally understood what he meant. Changkyun was right, they were always stressing out over Quidditch matches but not the last time. Kihyun felt it too, he was just having fun.

“I had fun too” the pink haired whispered, turning to look at their intertwined fingers because he was blushing so much he was scared Changkyun would notice. “But then I got worried” he unconsciously said and the Ravenclaw boy widened his eyes.

“Y-you got worried about m-me?” Changkyun stuttered and Kihyun lifted his gaze, finding a surprised boy.

“Well... what did you expect? You got hit on your nape and you fell almost 40 meters! Professor McGonagall stopped your fall but you looked so pale and I still had to catch the Snitch” Kihyun’s nervousness started showing but Changkyun didn’t judge him, he listened carefully to what he was saying.

“I’m sorry... you have to understand how weird everything sounds to me... we used to hate each other and you never told me anything like that before” Changkyun was right, they were enemies months ago and Kihyun wasn’t the expressive type. He tried to keep his feelings inside and the black haired was used to it. “But thank you” he smiled brightly, making Kihyun’s heart beat faster again. After saying those words, Changkyun sat up and hugged him out of the blue. The pink haired took a few seconds to react and circle his arms around the younger boy’s neck. He was craving for a hug the whole week and Changkyun made his wishes come true. They parted too fast for his liking but it was more than he could ask for. “I’m sorry about that too” he apologized and Kihyun chuckled.

“I don’t mind” the pink haired controlled his happiness a little not to be that obvious. “But you should stay still just in case... what if Madam Pomfrey tells you not to move?” he said the first thing that came to his mind.

“You are right...” Changkyun’s gaze fell on his lap and his hands started playing with the white sheets. Kihyun watched him do that and suddenly missed those slim fingers squeezing his.

“I’ll get going because it’s late and I have class tomorrow” Kihyun stood up and Changkyun stared at him. “I’ll come back before Madam Pomfrey lets you go, I promise” he smiled and the Ravenclaw student lifted his pinkie for him to take it. Kihyun laughed but took it anyway. “Pinkie promise” they looked at each other with playful grins on their faces for a few seconds and then the pink haired turned around, walking to the Hospital’s entrance. He tried not to look back but, the moment he couldn’t take it anymore, he found Changkyun staring back at him and his heart sped up once more that night.

 

 

 

Changkyun had a lot of energy that morning. Madam Pomfrey scolded him several times because he wanted to leave and she considered he had to stay a few more hours. She had to check on him to see if everything was okay but he didn’t feel bad, he was perfectly fine. The night before had been incredible for him and he couldn’t stop thinking about Kihyun. The Slytherin boy had been very sweet and caring, showing that soft side of him Changkyun liked that much. He still found hard to believe the other wasn’t calling him mudblood anymore but that didn’t mean he wasn’t enjoying it. There was something in Kihyun’s eyes that showed he truly cared about the black haired, something that wasn’t there before.

Changkyun ate one of the sweets Hollie gave him for his birthday - yeah, he hadn’t even tried them because he didn’t like sweet stuff that much - and got surprised when he started levitating. __‘Fizzing Whizbees’__  he read and started considering visiting Honeydukes at least once because he was losing his opportunity to see awesome sweets. He ate another one, finding levitating quite fun. There were only three more students there and Madam Pomfrey was busy healing a first year girl’s arm that was apparently broken. Changkyun kept on eating and curiously staring at the other patients since he had nothing to do. Belle brought the sweets for him but completely forgot about his books or his notebook. He didn’t mind doing nothing for a few minutes but he couldn’t take it after hours. Laying on a hospital bed wasn’t fun and those levitating sweets were the source of his entertainment.

“Mr. Im!” Madam Pomfrey saw him levitating and scolded him. “Stop playing or I will” she paused because she was about to say ‘kick you out’ and it wouldn’t had been a good threat considering the boy was dying to leave. “Take points from Ravenclaw!” she yelled and Changkyun sighed.

“I was just eating” the black haired whined like a little kid, leaving the Fizzing Whizbees aside.

“Eat something else!” Madam Pomfrey turned around and went back to the girl. She was making Changkyun wait to check on him because those three students arrived in the morning after some of their classes and that was the reason he was bored. The black haired grabbed the chocolates Lucy bought for him and ate one. He didn’t like it so he moved on to try the Crystallized Pineapple Professor Slughorn gave him. It wasn’t bad as he expected it to be, it was delicious. He kept on eating those while waiting for Madam Pomfrey to finally check on him. The bag was enormous and Changkyun was sure he wouldn’t finish it in a million years. __‘I’ll send some to my parents’__  he thought, spacing out and failing to realize Belle, Jooheon, Robert and his Art classmates were there.

“Changkyunnie!” Jooheon ran across the Hospital to hug him but Madam Pomfrey stopped his midway because he shouldn’t be running in there. “How are you feeling?” he asked and Changkyun made a thumbs up. He had one of those Crystallized Pineapples in his mouth and he didn’t like talking while eating. “Professor Kim made us practice nonverbal spells and I’m getting good at it” he smiled and Changkyun repeated his actions, truly happy about his friend. Jooheon had been struggling with nonverbal spells and it was good to hear he was getting better.

“I’m sorry, I was eating” Changkyun apologized. “That’s fantastic” he smiled and Jooheon sat by his side on the bed.

“I thought you forgot how to talk after hitting your head with that Bludger” Jooheon laughed and Belle rolled her eyes. His five remaining friends sat on different chairs around the bed and Changkyun frowned, realizing Robert was there. He didn’t pay attention when they entered the Hospital Wing but Robert was angry at him, why was he there? Changkyun hoped he wouldn’t make some kind of scene; he seemed to be an expert lately.

“I want to know what truly happened” Hoseok curiously said. “You never ever get distracted” he added and he was right but Changkyun wouldn’t tell them the real reason. His mind started recalling Kihyun’s gorgeous smile and how he yelled his name right after. His panicked face was fresh inside Changkyun’s mind and he suddenly felt like asking Kihyun a few more questions about what happened. Would he keep his promise and go there before Madam Pomfrey let him leave?

“I just couldn’t find the Snitch so I started joking around and I got distracted... nothing interesting...” Changkyun lied and heard a sarcastic chuckle coming from Robert. “Do you have anything to say, Robert?” the Ravenclaw student turned to look at the Gryffindor boy, finding him with a defiant expression on his face.

“I don’t even get why you defend him” Robert shook his head in disapproval and looked away.

“You don’t get why I defend who, Robert?” Changkyun pretended he didn’t know; Kihyun didn’t have any fault, he was the one who started messing around. Robert knew nothing, he was just blinded by hate. The Gryffindor student laughed out loud after hearing his question and all the others rolled their eyes. Changkyun even saw Hoseok muttering ‘here we go again’ to then cross his arms over his chest.

“Don’t play dumb with me, I’ve known you for long and I can tell you are acting” Robert seemed eager to fight. “Are you under the influence of the Imperius Curse or something? What did he do to make you change your mind like this?” the boy went closer to Changkyun, inspecting his face to see if there was any hint of the Imperius Curse. “You hated each other! He’s a bad person and you know it! He insulted you the day of your birthday and you defended him instead of me” Robert exploded and Changkyun saw everyone’s eyes wider than ever. “And now you are defending him again when the truth is he made you get distracted on purpose” Robert chuckled sarcastically again. “What did he tell you? We are all curious to know” he asked and waited for the black haired to say something in return.

“Who are you talking about? I don’t get it” Hoseok interrupted the conversation before Changkyun could answer and Minhyuk punched his arm. Hoseok had always been like that: clueless.

“He’s talking about Kihyun, knob head” Minhyuk rolled his eyes and turned to Changkyun. “I’m curious too” the Quidditch commentator never missed anything and the black haired didn’t know what to do. His head started to hurt with all those questions and he didn’t feel like fighting or sharing his personal thoughts. Bryony seemed curious too and the only ones supporting him were Belle and Jooheon though they couldn’t do much either.

“He didn’t do anything, I was the one distracting him, okay?” the Ravenclaw student replied. __‘What happened while I was unconscious?’__  he wondered and started getting worried about Kihyun. Did Robert say something to the other students to stain Kihyun’s reputation? The Gryffindor boy was capable of doing that, Changkyun wouldn’t be surprised if he did.

“Did he threaten you? I’m sure his father was a Death Eater and I wouldn’t be surprised if he used the Cruciatus Curse on you-

“What? His father wasn’t a Death Eater, you idiot! Keep your mouth shut if you don’t know what you are talking about!” Changkyun had enough of it. “If I changed my mind about him it’s my problem, you don’t need to worry about it” he tried his best to calm down because he was about to punch Robert’s face. “If I ‘changed you for him’ like you say, why do you keep on following me? I’m not forcing you to be my friend if you don’t want to” he turned to look at Jooheon to avoid Robert’s eyes.

“Fighting again, Mr. Symons?” Madam Pomfrey was finally there to check on Changkyun. “Move aside, everyone” she ordered and they all complied, letting her get closer to the patient. She made sure everything was fine - it took two seconds and Changkyun wondered why didn’t she do it earlier - and let him leave. “You are perfectly fine, Mr. Im. Pay more attention from now on” she told the Ravenclaw boy and left to see another patient. Changkyun moved the sheets aside and realized he was still wearing his Quidditch uniform. Before he could get up the Bloom sisters, Hyungwon and Kihyun - surprisingly - entered the Hospital. “He’s already leaving! I don’t want more people in here!” Madam Pomfrey stopped them and they all went out of there.

Robert left quickly, too angry to even face Changkyun again, and the others stuck around. Hyungwon hugged him as always and started chatting happily with him. The black haired was happy to see them but he wished to be alone with Kihyun at that moment. He flashed the pink haired a smile when he could and, the instant Lucy grabbed Hyungwon’s arm, he stepped closer to him. “Thanks for coming” Changkyun whispered not to be heard by anybody else.

“I promised, didn’t I?” Kihyun answered and they both smiled, walking side by side until they reached the Great Hall. They had to part for a few minutes so Changkyun could shower and change but they were certain they would be able to spend a lot of time together after those intense days.


	13. Just tell him already!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!!
> 
> Finally getting somewhere, don't you think?? Hahaha
> 
> Enjoy!! <3  
> (I'm still smiling for the comments you left last chapter and I wanna thank you all again, even if I already answered ^^)

Kihyun never imagined Changkyun would be so famous around Hogwarts after hitting his head with a Bludger. After he was discharged from the Hospital, he hadn’t been able to walk comfortably around the Great Hall without students asking him questions about his head. The black haired looked uncomfortable to the point he had to cover his head to go to Potions class. Some of the students made fun of him, saying he wasn’t as good as they believed, and others were impressed because he managed to survive after the accident. Kihyun didn’t understand what was so interesting about that, he got so worried when he saw Changkyun falling from his broom and his head bleeding while they took him to the Hospital and he couldn’t imagine how people considered it cool. Professor Slughorn had been the whole class by the Ravenclaw boy’s side, checking if he was okay. The old man kept on repeating how he should have stayed in his Common Room resting and Changkyun seemed uncomfortable about that too.

When their Potions class ended, Belle, Jooheon, the Bloom sisters and Hyungwon headed to the Library. Robert threw them a look full of resentment and followed Trevor to the Gryffindor Common Room. Kihyun thought that guy was a prick; getting angry at a friend only because he started being friends with a person he didn’t like, how mature. The pink haired was trying his best not to start a fight with him. Every time their eyes met, Robert made an insulting gesture and he couldn’t allow that, he was Yoo Kihyun. But he let it go because he didn’t want to disappoint Changkyun - he felt whipped and stupid for that but he couldn’t help it when the other was being so soft around him since they left the Hospital -. “Hey” Kihyun tapped Changkyun’s shoulder while they went upstairs. The black haired turned to look at him with those gentle eyes and he tried hard not to blush. “Don’t you want to go rest? Hagrid will understand” he asked, knowing more students would annoy the Ravenclaw boy if he walked around the castle again.

“Oh, don’t worry, I’m fine” Changkyun grinned, directing his steps to the Grounds of Hogwarts. “I’m actually tired of resting... I don’t know if it makes sense” he added and Kihyun chuckled. “I’ve been sleeping for two days and I feel like a new man” he joked and the Slytherin student laughed.

“If you say so” Kihyun replied and kept on walking by his side. A bunch of students started pointing at Changkyun when they were almost outside the castle and the pink haired grabbed his hand to drag him faster. He didn’t want anyone annoying his companion and he hated gossip people. He dodged as many students as he could but, when they were finally reaching Hagrid’s Hut, a group of girls approached them.

“Are you okay?” they were from Hufflepuff and Kihyun never saw them before. Changkyun just nodded his head with confusion in his eyes. “We were so shocked when we saw you falling” she went on and Kihyun crossed his arms over his chest, impatiently moving his right leg. “And you helped him! We saw you trying to warn him” another one with long, brunette hair said and the Slytherin student sighed. __‘I’m so done with this’__  he thought but tried to flash her a convincing smile. “Tell us if you need anything, we are Bryony’s friends” the first girl said and Changkyun nodded. Kihyun was annoyed at first but it was funny to see the Ravenclaw boy so uncomfortable around women. “Bye!” they all greeted at the same time and the two boys waved their hands awkwardly. Once they disappeared, Kihyun started laughing and Changkyun took a while to finally react.

“Why are you laughing? That was awkward” the black haired asked and the Slytherin boy took a deep breath to stop laughing.

“You should have seen your face” Kihyun giggled and Changkyun whined like a little kid.

“I should’ve known you were making fun of me” the black haired pouted. “You are a mean friend” he started walking without waiting for Kihyun and the latter followed him closely.

“Changkyun, come back!” the Slytherin boy couldn’t stop his laughter from coming out and Changkyun turned around to then giggle and wait for him. They walked side by side in silence until they finally reached their destiny. Hagrid was there, just like all of their classmates, and the former hugged Changkyun when he saw him. The Care of Magical Creatures professor had been worried about the student, just like Kihyun, and he was happy to see him. They started their class after Hagrid managed to stop crying and saying how he believed Changkyun would die after the Bludger hit his head. They headed to the Dark Forest to study some other creatures and Hagrid made them work together as always. They only had to take notes so they decided to sit on the floor. The trees’ shadow wasn’t so heavy there and a little bit of light entered the forest. Kihyun concentrated on the task but couldn’t help to throw Changkyun a few glances. The latter was extremely focused and the pink haired noticed he bit the insides of his cheeks while writing.

“Can I see?” the Ravenclaw student suddenly interrupted his thoughts and he nodded, exchanging parchments with him.

“We wrote the same” they said in unison and started giggling, returning their parchments to each other to keep on working. They worked in silence until the class ended - they got an ‘Outstanding’ in their redaction - and they headed back to the castle. Their hands were brushing from time to time and Kihyun started staring at them, wondering what it’d feel like to hold it while walking. The touch of Changkyun’s soft fingers felt so warm against his own and he still remembered how he squeezed his hand when they were at the Hospital. Kihyun lifted his gaze and found the black haired staring back at him. They both quickly turned to the scenery and they cleared their throats loudly - their hearts were beating fast inside their chests and they were both begging the other wouldn’t hear it -.

“You know” Changkyun spoke in his deep voice, trying to break the awkward atmosphere. “When we were in the Hospital last night, I realized something” he paused and Kihyun was so damn nervous but didn’t say a word, he just waited until he continued. __‘What did he realize? Please don’t say you realized I like you’__  the pink haired’s heart was about to go out of his chest. It was beating so fast and loud he was even more scared the other would hear it. “Your bracelet is on your right wrist and mine is on my left wrist” Changkyun finally finished his sentence and Kihyun sighed in relieve, being able to breathe again. He hoped his sigh hadn’t been noticed by the Ravenclaw student but he felt too relieved to care. “And it’s funny because I’m left-handed and you are right-handed” he chuckled and Kihyun tried his best to laugh authentically.

“You are right” the Slytherin boy said, flashing him a toothless grin. __‘We could hold hands like that, you with your left hand and me with my right hand’__  he thought but quickly shook his head, getting ashamed of his cheesy thoughts. Yoo Kihyun wasn’t like that, Yoo Kihyun was strong and didn’t fall so easily. “You pay a lot of attention to small details” they were reaching the castle’s entrance and the students were starting to turn around again. They were mumbling things and shamelessly pointing at the newcomers. Changkyun didn’t seem to notice, he was looking right into Kihyun’s eyes with a tiny smile resting on his features. “How did you realize it?” he asked, wishing to keep on talking so the black haired wouldn’t pay attention to his surroundings. Kihyun slowly guided the slightly younger male to the Grand Staircase and decided it would be good to go with him to his Common Room like he did after Slughorn’s Christmas party.

“I” Changkyun spoke hesitantly, pausing to contemplate what to say. Kihyun saw him blushing a deep shade of red and avoiding eye contact until he regained his confidence. “I realized it when we were holding hands” he said it so fast the pink haired barely caught it. He was a little deaf and it wasn’t easy to read Changkyun’s lips when he wasn’t modulating the words properly. “I saw the bracelet when your sweater’s sleeve lifted” his blush deepened - if that was even possible - and his gaze fell to the stairs below their feet.

“I see... you are very observant” Kihyun complimented, taking a deep breath to calm his heart because it was ridiculous how fast it was beating. “I didn’t even realize you were left-handed” they both laughed and their nerves faded a bit. It was funny how awkward they both were after that moment at the Hospital Wing. “Left-handed people are usually bad at writing and drawing” and there it was, ruin everything, Yoo Kihyun. Changkyun turned to look at him in disbelief, his expression told Kihyun he was somehow expecting a bitchy comment. “That’s why I thought you were right-handed!” he yelled, quickly fixing it and earning a cute chuckle from his companion.

They didn’t take long to reach the Ravenclaw Common Room and Changkyun stopped abruptly. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t realize you had to head back to the Dungeons” the black haired apologized but Kihyun shook his head, muttering a soft ‘it’s fine’. “See you at dinner?” he asked and the Slytherin boy nodded. Changkyun was about to leave but suddenly stopped and reached for Kihyun’s right hand. He intertwined their fingers and lifted the sleeves of their black robes, revealing their matching bracelets. “Maybe they are a lucky charm when they are together” that was the cheesiest thing Kihyun heard from Changkyun, and the guy was extremely sappy. __‘Does he maybe like me back?’__  he thought, staring at him with a confused expression on his face. The wooden door without a doorknob was behind Changkyun’s back and he became nervous when he saw it slowly opening.

“Maybe!” Kihyun yelled and slipped his hand away from Changkyun’s soft one. “I have to go, see you around!” he added and quickly left, not turning back.

 

Changkyun stared at him, extremely confused. Did he say something wrong? Maybe he was being too much but he seriously wanted Kihyun to know he liked him. The Ravenclaw student was still recalling their moment back at the Hospital and he couldn’t forget how those fingers felt around his own. He wished to hold hands again so he didn’t hesitate when he did it seconds ago and he didn’t regret it, even if the Slytherin boy left. “Changkyun?” someone called his name and he immediately recognized Alana’s voice. __‘She’s going to kick me out of the team’__  he panicked because he totally forgot about his Quidditch captain’s threat. Changkyun turned around and bowed, greeting her nicely and trying to accept his defeat. It was all his fault and he needed to face it. “How are you feeling? I couldn’t talk to you at lunch because you were surrounded by people” she didn’t seem angry though maybe it was all Changkyun’s imagination.

“I’m fine, thanks” the black haired answered in fear and waited for the worst.

“I’m glad” she spoke again and smiled. “I just wanted to tell you I overreacted and you aren’t out of the team” Changkyun’s face lightened up after hearing that and he impulsively hugged Alana.

“Thank you! I’m sorry about what happened! I’ll do my best from now on” the Ravenclaw boy grinned happily and Alana chuckled.

“You better” she said and left, disappearing from his sight. Changkyun didn’t waste time and entered his Common Room, going to his dormitory to search for some things and finish his homework. His mind was roaming around his different thoughts and bringing Kihyun up every time it could. After that Hospital encounter, he would make sure to be obvious about what he felt for him. He was almost certain Kihyun felt the same way but was too hardheaded to accept it.

 

 

 

Changkyun felt like a new student after the accident. All eyes were on him and he could hear the mumbling. He didn’t understand the reason of their interest but he hoped they forgot about it soon because it was extremely annoying. The black haired couldn’t walk around the castle without being stopped by a group of students or being suddenly attacked verbally about how bad of a Quidditch player he was. That morning, Alana almost started Duelling during breakfast because a Slytherin boy was making fun of her. Thankfully - and surprisingly -, Kihyun appeared out of nowhere and complimented Alana about Ravenclaw’s performance at the match, making the other boy apologize and leave. Everyone feared Kihyun; Changkyun knew it since second year and it was a good thing in some situations. The Ravenclaw boy was never a leader, he didn’t have it in his personality, and that was the main reason everyone thought they could treat him as they pleased.

After breakfast, they headed to the Greenhouse for their Herbology class and, before he could reach the castle’s entrance, someone grabbed his wrist. __‘Bloody hell, what now?’__  he thought, turning around with an exhausted expression on his face. He was glad to see Alana instead of a random student there and he sighed in relieve. Belle and Jooheon waited for him holding hands in the middle of the Entrance Hall. “Kihyun is being so nice lately, what did you do to him?” Alana asked and he was so startled he didn’t know how to answer.

“I d-didn’t do anything” Changkyun said and saw Belle and Jooheon - surprisingly - staring at him with a knowing smile. “Why do you think it was me who changed Kihyun?” he curiously asked because he didn’t recall Alana seeing them together before; not even in their classes since the girl was older than them.

“I don’t know, he was so worried when you hit your head and then he started being nice” Alana replied. “I was just wondering how you did it” the Quidditch captain rested her hand on Changkyun’s shoulder and smiled. “Keep up your good work” she finished talking and started walking to her first class of the day, leaving the black haired in a confused state that made him unable to move from his spot. Before he could turn around, someone used __Levicorpus__  on him and he cursed until he saw Kihyun laughing at him. All of his books landed on the floor but the latter’s gorgeous smile - and his eyes looking like two crescent moons - made him forget about Alana’s questions and he started laughing too. He then used the counter-spell and fell back to the ground safely using __Arresto Momentum__  nonverbally.

“Welcome to the old times” Kihyun said once they both managed to pick Changkyun’s books up. “I’m sorry, you had a funny expression on your face and you were distracted so I thought it was a good opportunity to attack” he explained, even if he didn’t have to.

“It’s fine” the black haired grinned. “Don’t lower your guard tho” he whispered and Kihyun chuckled. All of their friends were staring at them and smiling at each other knowingly but they pretended to be talking when they finally decided to keep on going. Hyungwon automatically circled an arm around Changkyun’s shoulders and he left it there until they reached the Greenhouse number three - all the dangerous plants were kept there - where Professor Sprout was waiting for them. Venomous Tentaculas weren’t nice plants and the sixth year students didn’t like working with them. They were green, spiky, toothsome plants with mobile vines that tried to grab living preys. Venomous Tentaculas expelled venom from their shoots, and their spikes were deadly. Also, their bite was highly venomous and could be fatal. Those were the main reasons they hated Venomous Tentaculas.

Those plants were mostly used for Hogwarts students to investigate and Professor Sprout made them write their observations to then hand them in the end of the class. Changkyun and Kihyun started working together as always but, this time, Hyungwon joined them because he didn’t feel like working with Fergus or Leo. The Bloom sisters were together and Belle was with Jooheon so he didn’t have a choice. Changkyun thought he could go with The Bloom sisters instead but Hyungwon seemed to love him a lot. The Slytherin student repeated a thousand times he was glad he got to know Changkyun better because he thought he was awesome. The black haired felt uncomfortable every time he heard those words but he liked Hyungwon, he was a good person.

“Ah!!” Jooheon’s voice suddenly echoed around the room. “Bloody hell, take this off!” he yelled and all the others laughed. One of the plants seized him from behind but Professor Sprout quickly helped him. They could swear if a Venomous Tentacula grabbed them so she didn’t scold Jooheon. “I’ll die!! Professor, I must go to the Hospital!!” Jooheon was still yelling but nothing happened. The plant just caught him, it didn’t bite him or anything so he was perfectly fine. Belle tried her best to calm him down together with Professor Sprout but there was no case. He ended up working the whole class outside the Greenhouse, writing by himself while Belle did most of the work inside the place. The other teams weren’t that bad, even if they were trying to dodge those plants from time to time. Hyungwon’s notes weren’t that helpful for Changkyun and Kihyun. The latter told him to just burn his parchment but Changkyun was nice and included some parts of Hyungwon’s work, in Kihyun’s annoyance. The tall one tried his best; he didn’t like Herbology that much. The Bloom sisters were perfect together and they never fought so they finished first and left the class.

“It’s all your fault, Hyungwon” Kihyun was walking with his arms crossed over his chest through the Grounds of Hogwarts. The day was cloudy and it looked as if it was about to rain. It was almost spring there so it wasn’t that cold anymore. The scenery was beautiful and Changkyun couldn’t stop looking around while the other two discussed. “Why didn’t you go with Lucy?” the pink haired asked in annoyance but the tall one just chuckled.

“Because Changkyun is nice and helps me” Hyungwon answered and Kihyun slapped Changkyun’s head.

“Hey! What was that for?!” the Ravenclaw student caressed his head, trying to ease the pain. He started suddenly being aware about the place that Bludger hit him and, apparently, Kihyun remembered about the accident too because he started apologizing. The Slytherin boy checked in between his strands of hair to make sure everything was just like Madam Pomfrey left it and then petted Changkyun’s black locks, completely forgetting about their friends watching the scene.

“I’m sorry, are you okay? I completely forgot about the accident” Kihyun felt guilty but the Ravenclaw student was fine. Madam Pomfrey was the best when it came to healing and his head didn’t hurt at all.

“Don’t worry, I’m fine” Changkyun replied with a grin and secretly enjoyed the pink haired’s ministrations.

“How adorable~!” Belle said and Kihyun quickly removed his hand away from the black strands of hair, blushing. The girl was behind them with Jooheon and she was extremely happy to see Kihyun being all soft around Changkyun. She couldn’t contain herself that much and the black haired knew it. He wouldn’t judge the girl just because she like expressing her opinion. Hyungwon was laughing silently and Jooheon was smiling at them, making Kihyun even more shy.

“I’m not adorable!” the Slytherin boy yelled. “And you, Hyungwon, stop that before I throw a curse at you” he added and started walking faster, losing the others when he entered the castle and headed to his Common Room. Changkyun didn’t know if he should chase after him but he stayed there because that would have been too gay. Jooheon and Hyungwon didn’t know he liked Kihyun - that was what he thought - and he couldn’t risk it.

“Should we go to the Study Area? I want you to change my hair color” Jooheon proposed, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

“I can do it right here if you want to” Changkyun chuckled and Jooheon’s eyes brightened up. “What color?” he asked and his Gryffindor friend asked for a flaming red Belle forbid him to use seconds later.

“But it’s bloody amazing!” Jooheon complained but Belle wasn’t listening. “How about Changkyun changes his hair to blonde and I change it to red for one day? Just one day! Please, babyyy~” he whined and the Ravenclaw boy rolled his eyes because he hadn’t agreed to change his own hair color and his friend got him stuck there. __‘Kihyun likes blonde hair on me’__  he thought and suddenly it didn’t seem like such a bad idea. Hyungwon was staring at them with that playful smile that usually decorated his features and he used his own wand to turn his hair green. Belle started laughing and, the moment she managed to stop, he agreed to Jooheon’s proposal.

When they reached the Study Area with their changed hair colors - Hyungwon also left it entirely green - Hoseok started laughing and called them so they sat on their table. The latter was excited about it too and he asked Changkyun for a purple color so he could join in. Belle couldn’t concentrate in her homework and the Bloom sisters arrived minutes later to laugh at them too. Lucy took advantage of Hyungwon’s laughing state and circled her arm around the boy’s waist. Changkyun didn’t understand why she didn’t confess her feelings but then he remembered she wanted to just tease Kihyun and understood everything.

They all studied in silence after that - with their funny hair colors - and compared their homework. Belle and Changkyun translated some Runes while Hoseok studied for his History exam together with Minhyuk and the others did their Potions homework Belle and Changkyun already finished. They left after a few hours and headed to the Great Hall with all the other students of Hogwarts.

It wasn’t until lunchtime that Kihyun finally showed up and he did it by sneakily grabbing Changkyun’s wrist to stop him from entering the huge room where they all ate. “Kihyun! I was about to run after you but I lost you” the black haired said and stared right into his companion’s eyes. The latter looked surprised and Changkyun realized it was all about his hair color. The Slytherin boy told him he liked blond hair on him and he felt more confident about himself.

“Um...” Kihyun blinked a few times to then clear his throat. “It’s okay! I was just wishing to apologize for my... um... my stupid behavior back then” the pink haired was staring at his hair while talking and Changkyun couldn’t help to smile a little. It was a rare reaction from Yoo Kihyun, a reaction only the Ravenclaw boy managed to get from him. “So, yeah, I’m sorry for being a twat” he spoke after a long pause.

“You don’t need to apologize, I’m sorry if Belle made you uncomfortable” Changkyun didn’t think Kihyun had to apologize, he was like that and the black haired knew it. “She’s like that when she’s excited and she finds almost everything adorable” he explained - even if Belle only found them adorable because she wanted them to be together as a couple -.

“Oh, don’t worry” Kihyun flashed him a cute smile. “Y-you changed your hair color” he pointed at Changkyun’s hair with his index finger. “I like it” the Slytherin boy made his heart race and he tried not to show it that much. “Don’t tell anyone or you can say goodbye to our friendship” he threatened and Changkyun rolled his eyes.

“Thank you for the compliment and don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone” the Slytherin boy relaxed after hearing those words. “Should we go have lunch with the others?” he asked and Kihyun nodded, entering the Great Hall with him. The pink haired criticized the others’ crazy colors when he saw them and Changkyun found it funny because he had pink on his own head but no one dared say anything in return.

 

 

 

After two weeks, they all realized their Apparition exam was close. That Wednesday, Wilkie Twycross congratulated them for their hard work but he also reminded them they had only two more classes to achieve it and Jooheon cried after that. He was the only one of the group who didn’t do it yet and he was getting stressed out. Changkyun reminded him they had their seventh year to try again if they failed but it didn’t cheer him up. Belle had to stay with him the whole afternoon and that was the reason Changkyun managed to escape with Kihyun. The two of them were in their secret room practicing spells and having a good time. The weather was getting warmer each week and the scenery was turning bright green all around Hogwarts. In ‘their’ room, the flowers around the garden were blossoming and it all looked extremely pretty; it was the first thing Kihyun noticed when they got in. That Wednesday was their first time entering the room since the Quidditch accident and it was good they didn’t need to wear scarfs - well, at least Changkyun didn’t need to -.

The place was quiet and, after a while of practicing hard, they decided to stop and rest. They were both good students and had everything figured out. Kihyun stared at the now blonde - yeah, he decided to leave his blond hair because his crush liked it and because Belle suggested it too - and waited for him to say something. They were feeling very comfortable around each other lately and, even if Robert liked inventing rumors about Kihyun using the Imperius Curse on Changkyun or using the Cruciatus Curse to force him to be his friend, they couldn’t care less. The Slytherin boy was slowly learning to ignore their stares and comments and he was also relaxing more around their friends. He managed not to yell at Hyungwon for an entire week and that was something.

Changkyun smiled at Kihyun after a few seconds of complete silence and went to the garden to lay on top of the green grass. The day was sunny and everything looked beautiful around them. The pink haired hesitated but slowly went to lay beside him, staring at the sky in silence. Changkyun could feel their hands brushing and he thought about intertwining their fingers. He loved holding Kihyun’s hand but it wouldn’t be good to do it. He knew the other would let go and leave and he didn’t want that. The day Changkyun was discharged from the Hospital was the only proof he needed to confirm Kihyun didn’t feel comfortable holding his hand, even if he did it when he was still laying on his hospital bed.

The sun was starting to set at that hour and the sky was throwing colors at them. Changkyun started thinking if he should confess his feelings to Kihyun right there. They were completely alone and the scenery looked amazing, two things the Ravenclaw boy considered good to make a confession. But then his mind started driving him crazy and he suddenly became insecure. He’d have to wait with Kihyun, he knew it very well, even if he was impatient to do it because he knew the other might feel something for him too. __‘He has to, right? I’m not being delusional, am I?’__  he questioned himself while he stared at the gorgeous sky. He wasn’t paying attention to the Slytherin boy so he got surprised when he turned around and found him staring back at him. Kihyun didn’t look away when their eyes met and Changkyun started thinking what it would feel like to kiss him. It was weird to have the pink haired eyes fixated on his own because he didn’t do it often and that was the reason he wished it never ended.

“What are you thinking?” Kihyun said in a whisper, not tearing his gaze away from Changkyun’s eyes.

“I don’t know if I should tell you” the blonde replied, contemplating his options. He could tell him and have a huge possibility of him running away or he could just shut up and do it later. Maybe he could confess the day they have to go back home in case Kihyun insulted him and told him he never wanted to see him again. “You’ll call me mudblood again and throw a thousand curses at me” he added and Kihyun laughed, lightening up his world as always.

“Don’t be a coward and tell me” the pink haired seemed to be hearing his thoughts judging by the words he chose to say. Changkyun contemplated his options once again and got lost in his own little world until Kihyun snapped his fingers in front of his face. “I promise I won’t call you mudblood nor throw curses at you” he softly said and flashed him a toothless grin. Changkyun finally reacted and his heart raced when he felt cold fingers searching for his. Kihyun’s hand squeezed his and made him remember about their moment inside the Hospital. Everything was perfect for him to confess so he took courage and opened his mouth to talk.

“I-I was thinking I” he paused, staring into Kihyun’s intense eyes and finding it hard to breathe. “Love spending time with you” he couldn’t do it and he felt extremely stupid. “I can relax around you - something I couldn’t do before -” Kihyun chuckled when hearing that. “But now I can be myself and I think you are a very nice company... you are no longer a Slytherin, pure blood prick” Changkyun joked a little not to be too cheesy. “You are still in Slytherin and you are still a pure blood wizard but you aren’t a prick anymore” he saw Kihyun’s smile widening and he felt relieved. “I just wanted you to know what I think about you now” he ended his short speech there and the Slytherin boy squeezed his hand once again.

“Thanks” Kihyun shyly answered, letting go of his hand and turning to look at the sky - leaving Changkyun with a pout on his face -. “I don’t feel like watching Hufflepuff vs Gryffindor this Saturday...” the pink haired changed the subject and the Ravenclaw student pouted deeper. He was suddenly glad he didn’t confess his feelings because, if Kihyun had done that, he’d be the one running away in shame. “Do you want to escape from the Quidditch pitch with me?” Kihyun asked and they both turned around again to look into each other’s eyes.

“Bloody hell, Yoo Kihyun missing a Quidditch match?” Changkyun couldn’t believe it because Kihyun never missed a match before. The pink haired rolled his eyes at that and punched his chest. “Ow, that hurt” he whined, caressing the sore spot.

“If you don’t want to it’s fine, you liar” Kihyun crossed his arms over his chest and Changkyun knew he panicked because he didn’t answer his question quickly. The Ravenclaw student couldn’t help to laugh and earned another punch - or maybe two -.

“Ah, ah! Don’t hit me, it hurts!” the blonde hated people hitting him and Kihyun was very fond of punching people. He even did it when he was laughing sometimes and he usually punched Hyungwon while doing so. “I didn’t say I wouldn’t go! I was just surprised you didn’t want to see Hufflepuff kicking Gryffindor’s butt” he made his companion relax with those words.

“I don’t care” Kihyun sat up on the grass and Changkyun realized it was already getting dark outside. The candles inside the castle were starting to shine and it would be good to return before dinner. The Ravenclaw student sat up too and noticed his companion was shivering. There was a soft breeze but Kihyun hated cold so he didn’t hesitate in giving him his Ravenclaw robe. “Those two teams won’t win the Quidditch Cup even if they try their hardest and I find it boring to watch a match against Gryffindor when the team is so bad” he explained, closing Changkyun’s robe and sliding his already covered arms through the sleeves. “And that idiot, Robert Symons, is getting on my nerves lately so I’d prefer not to see him” he said and the Ravenclaw student nodded.

“He’s acting like a prick all day, I don’t know what I did to him that is so terrible” Changkyun sighed and stood up, helping Kihyun get up. “Oh! I remember now” he raised his index finger. “I defended you” he joked, pointing at the Slytherin boy, who laughed loudly.

“Wow, you are the meanest person I’ve ever met” Kihyun sarcastically said and they both giggled. “Is it dinner time already?” the pink haired interrupted their conversation with that question and Changkyun nodded. “Okay, let’s go!” he said and they started walking back to the Great Hall. They didn’t realize Kihyun was still wearing the Ravenclaw robe on top of his Slytherin one so, the moment their friends saw them, they started teasing them. “He just gave it to me because I was cold!” Kihyun defended himself though Hyungwon was still laughing and the three girls were staring at them with those familiar knowing smiles. Jooheon was smiling too but in a subtler manner and Changkyun wondered if he already knew he liked Kihyun. Maybe Belle told him and it was fine; he wouldn’t be mad at her if that was the case.

“Where were you?” Lucy asked and Kihyun panicked even more.

“Why do you care?!” the Slytherin boy threw the Ravenclaw robe back at Changkyun and sat on the wooden bench in annoyance.

“We were just practicing spells outside because the day was sunny and warm” the blonde helped his crush a little because he felt bad for him. Those two sisters were surely a handful and it wasn’t easy to deal with them, specially for Kihyun. “You should come next time” he invited them because he didn’t want to hear any more comments and Hyungwon hugged him.

“We’ll go!” the tall one said and Kihyun palmed his face. The Bloom sisters saw everything but decided to drop it so they could have dinner in peace.

 

 

 

Lucy was sitting on one of the Common Room’s black tables studying. Their Apparition exam was only three days away and she was feeling confident. That Sunday, she focused on Defense Against the Dark Arts because they had an exam the next day about the Dementors and the Inferi. Professor Kim loved those kind of surprises so he decided it would be fun to have a test before the end of the year exams. Professor Adwell thought the same way but Transfiguration was next Friday and she wasn’t worried. She stared at Hyungwon and smiled, finding him manly and handsome. She started liking him last year but she was waiting for the right moment to confess. She loved teasing Kihyun with it and she somehow wanted him to confess his love for Changkyun first.

Those last weeks, she had seen the two of them extremely touchy and they looked so cute talking to each other as if no one else was around. Kihyun tried to hide it after he noticed their friends were watching but they all already knew he liked Changkyun. Lucy knew the pink haired’s parents weren’t that easy and they’d never understand Kihyun’s love if they found out but he could just hide it from them like he hid everything from everyone all the time. Belle, Hollie and Lucy had seen the two boys sitting together near the Dark Forest, they had seen them running away to that room the two of them only knew the password for, they had seen Kihyun holding Changkyun’s hand to drag him backwards so they could talk and they had seen them smiling lovingly at each other. They also had their little secrets and Lucy just wanted to punch Kihyun’s face to make him react. Changkyun was head over heels for him and the three girls couldn’t take it anymore. They needed to get together and the Bloom sisters were planning to talk to Kihyun.

The pink haired was sitting right in front of the two sisters by Hyungwon’s side, concentrating on his book. The four friends were in silence and the green, dim lights made everything look darker around the Common Room. There wasn’t anyone left at that hour and it was the perfect opportunity to talk. Hollie lifted her gaze from her book and Lucy looked at her to confirm she wanted to speak too. They both nodded and stared at Kihyun before opening their mouths to talk. “Kihyunnie” Hollie called the boy’s name, earning his full attention. “Why don’t you just confess already?” the two sisters said in unison and Hyungwon widened his eyes, finally paying attention to something - he was falling asleep on the pages seconds ago -.

“What? Confess what?” the pink haired playing dumb on them but they weren’t stupid. They could almost hear his racing heart from across the table.

“Confess your love to Changkyun” Lucy saw him blushing up to his ears and the sisters chuckled. “We already know you like him, you don’t need to deny it” she added and Kihyun covered his face with his palms. “You should see yourself smiling at him, so adorable” she used the word the boy hated the most in the entire world but he didn’t yell, he just crossed his arms over his chest and looked away.

“Why would I confess? My parents would never accept someone like him and how do you know he likes me back?” Kihyun spoke after minutes of just blushing and staring at his lap that seemed to be interesting since the conversation started. “I like our friendship and I wouldn’t dare ruin it because of a silly crush that’ll surely fade in a few months” the pink haired sounded annoyed and they weren’t surprised, he couldn’t accept it so easily.

“It won’t fade, trust me” Hollie replied. “Just, don’t be such a coward and do it! I’m sure he likes you back and you’ve been acting gay around each other for a month already! Well, maybe more but you realized it after the accident so-

“How do you know that? I’m seriously starting to suspect you two are masters of Legilimency” Kihyun got surprised but the truth was he had been too obvious. “Okay, I’ll tell him soon, I promise...” he said and the two sisters stood up to hug him. “Hey! Don’t touch me” he pushed them away but they were happy and there was nothing that could change that.

“I like Changkyun for you” Hyungwon blurted out when they started studying again.

“You love Changkyun” Kihyun rolled his eyes. “Why don’t you confess instead?” he asked and Hyungwon laughed.


	14. At the same time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone!
> 
> I finished another chapter :) and it has a little surprise :P
> 
> I hope you like it!! <3<3
> 
> Thanks for the patience because I know this was slow hahaha :)

Kihyun couldn’t focus in his exam that morning. His mind wouldn’t leave him alone and his eyes wouldn’t stop staring at the male sitting by his side. The blonde was deeply concentrated, furrowing his brows while writing on his parchment. His hand moved quickly and, for the first time, Kihyun realized it was the left one. He wasn’t that observant and he only knew it when Changkyun told him about the bracelets’ discovering. The Slytherin boy liked watching him but it worsened after he admitted he liked him in front of his friends. He couldn’t stop thinking of how to confess and he got nervous every time he imagined Changkyun running away without giving him a proper answer. _‘Hollie and Lucy said he likes me, I’m sure Belle told them’_  he thought but he was feeling insecure. Professor Kim was walking around the classroom and stopped in front of their desk to then tap the wooden surface with his index finger. “Mr. Yoo, are you looking for something in Mr. Im’s exam?” he spoke in his low voice and Kihyun panicked. He shook his head and blushed when Changkyun turned to stare at him in confusion. “It’s something rare to find you staring at your classmate’s parchment but I must warn you, I won’t have compassion if I find you doing it again” Professor Kim scolded him and he apologized. “Concentrate on your exam, you haven’t written anything yet and we have only 30 minutes left” he tapped the wooden surface of the desk once again and kept on walking around. Kihyun widened his eyes because it was true, he had been spacing out like an idiot the whole class and he needed to finish his exam.

The pink haired charged his quill with ink again - it was totally dry after all that time he lost doing nothing - and begun writing in the speed of light. When he had one paragraph, Changkyun stood up to hand his parchment and he got distracted for a few more seconds as he watched the blonde pack his things up. “Kihyun” Changkyun’s deep voice came out in a whisper. “Write” he added, pretending he was picking something up from the floor. The Slytherin boy cursed mentally and kept on going, just taking one last glance when his crush left the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. After long minutes, everyone handed their exams except him and he knew he had only five minutes to finish. There was no challenge Yoo Kihyun couldn’t achieve so he wrote as fast as he could and managed to hand it just in time.

“And...” Professor Kim checked his wristwatch. “Time is up” the man smiled at him - sort of - when he received the parchment and let him leave after another scolding. Kihyun apologized and swore he wasn’t staring at Changkyun’s answers and the elder believed him because he never cheated before. The pink haired felt embarrassed; he was shamelessly looking at the boy he liked - he was still trying to assimilate he liked a boy but the truth was he never liked a girl before so it made perfect sense when he started over-thinking about it - and forgot he was in the middle of an exam. He was sure the Bloom sisters would tease him when he met them at the Great Hall and he wouldn’t be able to stop his cheeks from turning red.

Kihyun walked through the crowded corridors, dodging students until he crashed onto someone. He lifted his gaze and found Changkyun, staring back at him in a concerned manner. The Ravenclaw boy was apparently waiting for him in front of the Grand Staircase and he didn’t realize he was there. Kihyun wanted to leave his Defense Against the Dark Arts books in his Common Room before heading to the Great Hall where his friends were and he contemplated the idea of taking Changkyun with him. “Are you okay? You seemed... kind of distracted” the blonde spoke in a gentle tone of voice while he caressed the sore spot on his chest, which crashed with Kihyun’s shoulder.

“I’m fine, don’t worry” the Slytherin student smiled reassuringly. “I was just thinking about the Apparition exam” he lied and Changkyun didn’t believe him but he pretended to. “Do you want to come with me? I was heading downstairs because I want to leave my books in my Common Room” he asked and his nervousness made his heart almost explode. Changkyun nodded as an answer and followed him through the corridors. The Slytherin Common Room was behind a stone wall and, the moment Kihyun pronounced the password, Changkyun backed away covering his ears. The pink haired found that too cute and he almost grinned like an idiot, completely forgetting about the wall opening a passage for him to get in. The Ravenclaw boy didn’t want to know Slytherin’s password and it was ‘adorable’ just like Belle said. “You don’t have to cover your ears, the password is predictable” Kihyun flashed him a toothless smile. “A world of wizards” he repeated it and chuckled when the other covered his ears once again. “Do you want to get in? I could borrow you my robe so no one sees you” the pink haired didn’t know what came into him when he asked that question. It was insane and Changkyun obviously didn’t want to.

“No, Kihyun, this isn’t a good idea” the blonde shook his head repeatedly. “I’ll wait here” he crossed his arms over his chest but Kihyun placed his robe on his shoulders and put the hood on top of his head to cover his face. He then intertwined their fingers and dragged a startled boy to the Common Room. Thankfully, not many students were inside. It was nearly lunch time and they all went to the Great Hall. “Kihyun!” Changkyun whispered and he looked as if he was having a panic attack. “I’ll go wait outside, this is so wrong” he whined and gave tiny jumps of desperation.

“Don’t be such a coward, I’ll be down in a minute” the pink haired went to the boys dormitory and left his books on his bed quickly to then return. Changkyun was so scared he didn’t move from his spot and he couldn’t blame him. His idea was crazy because they weren’t allowed to bring people from other houses into the Common Room nor were they allowed to reveal the password. Kihyun just happened to trust Changkyun too much, that was the main problem. “Let’s go, all done” he grabbed the scared boy’s arm and guided him to the entrance. The Dungeons were empty at that hour and the students inside the Common Room didn’t even budge. The pink haired was sure no one paid attention if there was anyone strange. He took his Slytherin robe back and earned a slight slap on his arm.

“I hate you so much! Why did you do that?” he whined like a little baby and Kihyun chuckled. “I was feeling so out of place” he kept on complaining as they walked back to the Entrance Hall and the pink haired rolled his eyes.

“Just drop it, no one saw you” the Slytherin boy made the other sigh.

“You are right but, please don’t do that again... I don’t like breaking the rules” Changkyun begged.

“Fine, I won’t do it again” the pink haired patted his companion’s back and, before they reached the Great Hall, he realized they were alone and it was a great opportunity to leave his fears aside and finally tell him. Kihyun grabbed Changkyun’s wrist to make him stop and blushed when he stared right into his eyes. “Hey, I...” he paused and the Ravenclaw student waited patiently for him to go on. “I have something to say but I don’t know if I should tell you” he joked, imitating Changkyun’s words. “You’ll start calling me Yoo again and throw a thousand curses at me” Kihyun giggled and the blonde slapped his arm.

“Idiot” the Ravenclaw boy said. “Hurry up and tell me” he seemed nervous as well and the pink haired didn’t know if it was a good or a bad sign. He couldn’t read Changkyun at some moments and that was one of those moments.

“I-

“Hello!” Hyungwon appeared from the Great Hall’s entrance door and walked towards them. “What took you so long?” he asked and circled an arm around Changkyun’s shoulders.

“I just went to leave my books and Changkyun came with me” Kihyun rolled his eyes. “Let’s go eat something because I’m hungry” he sighed, giving up on telling his crush.

“Wait! Kihyun, you were about to tell me something!” Changkyun followed him but he was fast to reach the Slytherin table where the Bloom sister were sitting. “Okay... you can tell me later” the blonde whispered in his ear and sat right behind him on the Ravenclaw table. Jooheon and Belle were there together - Kihyun couldn’t recall the last time Jooheon sat of the Gryffindor table - eating something.

“Yes, later” Kihyun replied with a tiny smile and started talking to the Bloom sisters. Hyungwon joined them seconds later and the pink haired momentarily forgot about confessing.

 

 

“I’m telling you! Kihyun was staring at you when we were in Defense Against the Dark Arts and he seemed to be thinking about something! He wants to confess, I’m sure!” Belle repeated while they were getting ready to go to sleep. The girl was in the boys dormitory - all the others were complaining about that but there was no rule against it - sitting on Changkyun’s bed and whispering things to him. The blonde was sitting too and he was trying to read before Belle appeared at the beginning of the staircase. The blue curtains around them were closed and Changkyun was nervous someone would hear them.

“How do you know he was staring at me because he likes me? Maybe I had a booger in my big nose which is something very possible since my nostrils show everything” Changkyun whispered almost inaudibly and Belle laughed, slapping his arm repeatedly. “Hey! No hitting” the Ravenclaw boy complained and they heard a loud ‘shh’ from the bed next to them. Theodore slept by Changkyun’s side and he had to suffer finding Belle there at least once a month.

“Oh, come on, Changkyunnie” Belle went back to her whispering phase. “He’s obvious! Well, you two are” she was right but Changkyun was still insecure because Kihyun was unpredictable most of the time. The pink haired had weird reactions sometimes and he was worried everything went wrong after he stupidly confessed his love. Changkyun was falling deeper and deeper for him each day and he felt ashamed for not being able to keep his eyes off of him. Kihyun was so delicate and gorgeous, the blonde liked everything about him, even his arrogance and self love. He was scared because he used to hate those qualities and he changed his mind not long ago. “And you are telling me he wanted to talk to you today before Hyungwon interrupted you” Belle took him out of his thoughts.

“I don’t know, Belle... what if he hates me after I confess?” Changkyun’s voice was barely audible and Belle had to go closer to hear him.

“Guys seriously, can’t you go talk downstairs? We’d all appreciate it” Theodore interrupted their conversation so Belle stood up, opening the curtains.

“We’ll talk tomorrow morning” she said and waved her hand at everyone before going downstairs. Changkyun closed the curtains again and covered his body with the sheets. His book was forgotten beside his pillow as he thought about his options. Kihyun had been acting nicely around him but, was that a sign? He wasn’t sure. Maybe he just wanted to be friends. __‘But why would he take me to his Common Room and even reveal his password? That was odd... right?’__  a bunch of questions clouded his mind and he didn’t have answers. __‘I need Belle’__  he growled, flipping over until he was laying on his stomach. Everything was quiet that night and he fell asleep pretty quickly.

 

“You know, Hyungwon, I’m not using the Cruciatus Curse on you right now because I don’t want to end up in Azkaban” Kihyun lifted his fist in the air and clenched his teeth in annoyance. He had been wishing to be alone with his friends to yell at Hyungwon. The latter interrupted his confession and he didn’t leave them alone the whole day after that. In their Care of Magical Creatures class, Hagrid made them take care of some weird creatures and they couldn’t talk at all because the thing was very difficult to tame. When they came back to the castle, their friends were resting on the green grass and he didn’t have time to confess, not even a minute. After dinner, Changkyun, Belle and Jooheon greeted the Slytherin students and went upstairs, leaving Kihyun there with a long face and the strong wish to murder Hyungwon.

“What? Why?” the tall one replied, staring at him in confusion.

“Weren’t you the ones pushing me to confess? You interrupted me in the middle of my confession, you twat!” the pink haired raised his voice a little, startling sleepy Hyungwon. Lucy and Hollie dropped their jaws after hearing Kihyun and they both slapped Hyungwon’s head.

“Why would you do something like that?!” they yelled in unison.

“I didn’t know!” the tall one caressed his sore head and Kihyun could tell he felt suddenly guilty. “I’m sorry, Kihyunnie, I like spending time with Changkyun and I forgot you were trying to confess” he apologized and the pink haired sighed.

“I know you like spending time with him, just let us be when you see we are completely alone talking” Kihyun rolled his eyes and Hyungwon nodded. “I’ll try again tomorrow I guess... but he’ll be too concentrated in his Apparition exam... I mean, we all will be” the pink haired wasn’t convinced it would work the next day but he didn’t lose anything with trying.

“You should do it” Lucy encouraged and Hollie nodded with a happy grin on her face.

“Yes, I guess I will” Kihyun smiled toothlessly and stood up from his chair. “I’ll go to sleep” he announced and picked his things up. Hyungwon followed closely and it took no time for them to be inside their warm sheets with their green and silver curtains closed. The lake made relaxing sounds that echoed around the dormitory and, as always, it wasn’t hard to fall asleep.

 

 

 

The next day, Kihyun and Changkyun both got up with determination. They were both ready to confess, even if their Apparition exam was the next day in Hogsmeade and they were both nervous because they never Apparated outside that wooden ring Wilkie Twycross gave them to practice. They went to the bathroom in the speed of light and got dressed with their respective robes and uniforms. Changkyun hesitated, thinking maybe the robe was too much and Kihyun didn’t need to use a scarf those days, spring was being nice to him and he was glad the snow was gone. The two of them grabbed their Herbology books - the pink haired threw one at Hyungwon before going out of the boys dormitory - and entered their Common Room’s main area, meeting the girls. The Bloom sisters were about to leave to the Great Hall and Belle was waiting for Changkyun by Rowena Ravenclaw’s statue. Kihyun called his two friends and the three of them walked together through the Dungeons. On the other hand, Changkyun and Belle went downstairs, staring at the Grounds of Hogwarts through the windows and getting surprised when they saw dark clouds covering the sky. Kihyun and the Bloom sisters realized it when they finally reached their destiny and they contemplated the few rain drops that started falling. By the moment Changkyun and Belle arrived, the floor of the Courtyard was drenched. Kihyun blushed when the Ravenclaw boy waved his hand at him and he thought of a plan to be alone with him quickly.

Changkyun sat right behind him on the Ravenclaw table as always and started eating something. The pink haired tapped his shoulder hesitantly, earning his full attention and his shiny smile. He couldn’t speak for a few seconds, mesmerized by it, but he put himself together and managed to fall back to reality. “Do you want to... um... hang out after Herbology? We could go to the secret room to practice our special turn for Apparition or I could go get my target so we practice the Imperius Curse... I mean, I want you to help me practice to resist it too and I won’t risk myself to end up in St. Mungo’s Hospital, you know?” he talked too much for his liking but Changkyun just chuckled and nodded.

“Yes, I’d like to hang out with you” the blonde was looking extremely confident and Kihyun wondered what happened to him. Was he thinking about confessing too? __‘Well, let me tell you, Changkyun, I’m gonna do it first!’__  he thought, as if it was some kind of competition and he was determined to do it first. “We can do whatever you want” Changkyun said and grinned before turning around to keep on eating. Kihyun smiled and found the Bloom sisters nodding their heads in approval when he decided it was time to start having breakfast. The girls were no longer teasing him and he felt relaxed around them lately.

Hyungwon arrived minutes later in a zombie-like state and sat beside Kihyun. He looked extremely tired and his hair was messy. The pink haired sighed and combed it quickly, before Professor McGonagall saw him. The Headmistress didn’t like students to have a sloppy aspect and Kihyun already noticed her looking in their direction. Even if the Great Hall was full of students, she never missed anything so it was better to behave. Kihyun admired her; she was strong but caring at the same time and he had no doubt she was the perfect Headmistress for Hogwarts. “Can you give me a chicken leg?” Hyungwon spoke in his tired voice, yawning while he pointed at the chicken plate with his index finger. Kihyun gave him three legs so he didn’t ask for more in maybe...3 seconds? The way Hyungwon stuffed a whole wing inside his mouth and started chewing slowly as if he was unable to think properly was a little creepy to the pink haired. He was also falling asleep while eating and it was a gross sight to watch. Kihyun couldn’t understand why Lucy liked him at those specific times when he acted like a total weirdo - it happened often -. But then again, why did he like Changkyun in the first place? __‘Maybe because he’s smart... and funny... and maybe a bit handsome... or is it because he’s cute?’__  he thought and shook his head when he realized he was naming every aspect of Changkyun. __‘Ah... so annoying... I have to confess quickly’__  he nodded to himself and scrunched his nose when Hyungwon took the bone of the first chicken leg he ate out of his mouth.

Before Kihyun could slap Hyungwon’s nape and tell him to eat properly, Trevor entered the Great Hall running - together with Robert and Minhyuk - and stopped by Belle’s side. The Gryffindor student was gasping for air because, apparently, he had been rushing downstairs from the Gryffindor Common Room. “Belle! Jooheon is throwing up, he’s been doing it since he woke up and he told us to look for you and” he paused to take a deep breath and pointed at Changkyun. “And you too, Changkyun” Trevor finished his sentence and the Ravenclaw students stood up. __‘You’ve gotta be kidding me’__  Kihyun unconsciously growled as he stared at the two friends leaving the Great Hall together.

“Why did you call him? Jooheon doesn’t need him! He will have his girlfriend there!” Robert protested and the pink haired turned around to glare at him.

“Shut up, you prick” Hyungwon was suddenly awake - yeah, he was extremely weird sometimes - and insulted Robert. “Jooheon needs Changkyun too because he’s his best friend, unlike you” he added and Robert clenched his fists, trying hard not to fight because McGonagall was there, together with all their professors. Robert turned around and went to sit to the Gryffindor table, followed by Trevor and Minhyuk. It was funny how he called Kihyun a coward when he wasn’t even replying to Hyungwon. It was stupid how he kept his pride in between his relationship with his friends, the real friends __he__  ruined everything with. Kihyun just hoped Changkyun wouldn’t take long with Jooheon because he would feel stupid if he lost his chance two days in a row.

 

Changkyun was sitting by Jooheon’s side in the Hospital, he had to miss his Herbology class to stay with his friend because he had been vomiting, shivering and sweating for almost 7 hours and Madam Pomfrey got to calm him down only minutes ago. Belle was there too and they both suspected everything was about the Apparition exam. Jooheon didn’t manage to Apparate last Wednesday and he wouldn’t be able to pass the exam if he didn’t do it when they went to Hogsmeade the next day. Jooheon was laying on the hospital bed with a bucket on the floor and he was squeezing the Ravenclaw students’ hands, not letting go of them. He hadn’t been talking at all since the morning and Changkyun was worried but at the same time he wanted to leave for a while to be with Kihyun. He was starving because they missed lunch and he only managed to finish half of his breakfast before he was dragged outside the Great Hall. They had to run upstairs to the Gryffindor Tower, look for their sick friend, and run back downstairs to the Hospital Wing so Madam Pomfrey could help him. So that was the reason his mood dropped to the ground. “Belle” Changkyun whispered and the girl looked back at him. She was fixating her eyes on her boyfriend because she was too concerned. “Can I leave for a few minutes? Maybe I can bring some food” the blonde tried and Belle nodded though Jooheon wouldn’t let go of his hand.

“No! Please don’t leave” he spoke for the first time that day and they could tell he was feeling better because his sweat was starting to fade. Madam Pomfrey gave him different potions but it turned out the one for the nerves was the effective one in the end. “I c-can’t do it, C-Changkyun” Jooheon started crying and Changkyun confirmed his suspicions about the Apparition exam. “I c-can’t” he cried harder and the blonde didn’t know what to do. Belle hugged her boyfriend and Changkyun stared at them while he felt Jooheon’s fingers strangling his hand.

“Hey, calm down, Heony” Belle whispered and started humming a song as if she was a mother taking care of her son. “I’m sure you’ll do fine but, if you don’t, you have another chance in June, remember?” she asked, parting from her crying boyfriend. “You can do it in June!” she used a cheerful tone of voice and Jooheon sniffed a few more times. He was finally understanding failing an exam wasn’t the end of the world and Changkyun’s foot was moving as he impatiently lifted his sleeve to check on his wristwatch. It said 4pm and he was sure Kihyun was already studying in his Common Room. __‘Bloody hell, this is my luck’__  he cursed mentally to then sigh, resting his chin on his palm. __‘Maybe I could get into his Common Room... I know the pass- no! Forget about the damn password’__  he scolded himself because that was terrible, he wouldn’t enter that room ever again. “What password are you talking about?” Belle asked and he realized he said it out loud - at least he didn’t sat the first part out loud -. Jooheon was frowning and his cheeks were wet from all that crying and sweating.

“Oh, nothing!” Changkyun smiled in reassurance. “Belle’s right, Jooheony, you’ll be able to try again in June if you fail” he quickly added not to be questioned anymore. He didn’t want anyone to find out what he did - what Kihyun forced him to do - and he would keep it a secret, even from his best friends. “Just relax” he caressed Jooheon’s hand, even if he found it hard to do with those fingers squeezing his. “I have to go for a few minutes but I’ll be right back, I promise” he said and Jooheon whined. “Please, we are hungry” Changkyun begged and his friend finally let go of his hand. “Thank you, I’ll be right back” he smiled and ran outside the Hospital Wing. He needed to remember to get snacks before going to see Kihyun because he was sure he would forget if he didn’t do it first. The blonde hurried to his Common Room, guessing the riddle the door made to then go past Rowena Ravenclaw’s statue and grab some Muggle food his parents sent him last weekend. Even if Belle was a pure blood witch, he liked Muggle stuff and Jooheon was a Muggle born - but he doubted he would eat something after throwing up for 7 hours -.

Changkyun made sure nothing fell to the floor while he ran through Hogwarts crowded corridors. He didn’t where to go but he would make sure to check all the possible places before heading down the Dungeons. It was still raining outside but he checked around the Courtyard to be sure the Bloom sisters didn’t drag the two Slytherin boys outside to watch the rain drops fall. The blonde didn’t see them there so he continued to the Study Area. The place was overflowing with people and he spotted his Art team far from the entrance door. __‘Maybe I could ask Hoseok’__  he thought, walking in their direction and surprising them. Minhyuk started asking him several questions about Jooheon and he replied but he tried to make it fast since he wanted to find Kihyun before the day was over - and before his friends started suspecting he didn’t go to look for snacks only -. “Hoseok, have you seen Kihyun?” Changkyun managed to shut Minhyuk up but Hoseok shook his head.

“I haven’t seen him since lunch... maybe he’s in his Common Room because we were in the Library minutes ago searching for some books and he wasn’t there” Hoseok answered and Changkyun thanked him, running out of the Study Area as fast as possible.

The Ravenclaw boy started wondering if Kihyun went to his Common Room after lunch or if he was hiding inside the secret room or inside the Room of Requirement. The second option would be a terrible problem since no one could enter that room if there was someone in. Changkyun went to the third floor first and passed through the Clock Entrance. He was about to keep on going when he caught a slight glimpse of pink hair at the Wooden Bridge. __‘What is he doing there?’__  he thought, hoping the Slytherin student wouldn’t catch a cold. Changkyun ran through the Courtyard - getting wet with the rain - and reached the Wooden Bridge. He was gasping for air after all the running he did and Kihyun immediately noticed his presence. There was no one outside that afternoon, all students were inside. “K-Kihyun” the blonde breathed heavily while walking closer to his companion. “I w-was looking for y-you” he took a deep breath to calm his raced heart down and Kihyun chuckled.

“Why are you so tired? Were you running?” the pink haired grabbed the soft cloth of his own Slytherin robe and started drying Changkyun’s hair in a gentle manner.

“I d-didn’t know where t-to f-find you and I have t-to get b-back to the H-hospital before J-Jooheon kills me” the blonde giggled when Kihyun ruffled his hair, letting go of his black robe. Changkyun combed it because he couldn’t stand having it messy and then stared at the Slytherin boy, thinking about how to confess. __‘Is this the perfect moment to do it? Maybe I should wait till tomorrow because I have to get back to the Hospital and it wouldn’t be convenient to leave Kihyun after confessing...’__  his mind was working in the speed of light as he tried to make a wise decision.

“Why didn’t you bring an umbrella, pumpkin head?” Kihyun lifted his green umbrella decorated with silver snakes all over. “Didn’t you realize it’s raining outside?” he asked and Changkyun rolled his eyes.

“I wasn’t expecting to find you outside on a day like this. You are Yoo Kihyun, the boy who hates rain and snow” the blonde made the other laugh with those words.

“You are right but I needed to be outside for a while... my Common Room was getting boring and Lucy was getting touchy around Hyungwon” Kihyun growled and Changkyun laughed. He didn’t understand how the pink haired could hate it that much. The Ravenclaw boy spent a lot of time with Belle and Jooheon and he didn’t mind them kissing.

“You still don’t want her to confess?” the blonde rested his elbows on the wooden bar crossing the window of the bridge and Kihyun did the same, staring at the scenery. The Grounds looked dark but the grass was extremely green. Hagrid’s Hut could be seen from afar and a light was on, indicating the half-giant was probably drinking some tea.

“Of course not. Gross” Kihyun scrunched his nose.

“But, what if you wanted to confess to someone you liked? Wouldn’t you like having their support?” Changkyun asked and saw his companion visibly shivering, as if a chill ran down his spine. The latter then looked away and took a deep breath as if he was getting ready to say something. Changkyun panicked a little, knowing he had to confess first but he didn’t want to do it at that moment when he knew he would have to leave quickly after.

“Changkyun” Kihyun started with determination evident in his features. “I” he paused, clenching his fists in frustration. “I was wondering if... we could eat those snacks...” he sighed and cursed under his breath. Changkyun blinked a few times and remembered about the bags he was holding in his hands. “I’m hungry” the pink haired added but he was blushing so deep the Ravenclaw student knew that wasn’t what he meant to say. The pouring rain was the only sound after Kihyun shut up and Changkyun contemplated his options once again. The male standing in front of him was his first enemy years ago and he became his first crush months ago. He was someone special to Changkyun and he liked him more each day. Kihyun behaved differently when they were alone and the blonde believed he managed to brake the shield that was always protecting him. But then again, he wanted his confession to be romantic and he wanted to spend time with Kihyun after doing it so he decided not to.

“Here, let’s eat something” Changkyun finally spoke and dragged Kihyun to the floor. “I don’t know if you like this... it’s Muggle food” he softly said and the pink haired raised his shoulders, trying one of the snacks Changkyun had there. He chewed for a few seconds and then widened his eyes.

“Whoa, delicious” Kihyun took the bag in his hands and stared at the brand. His gaze then fell to the chocolate covered raisins and he asked for permission to try those too. The pink haired moaned at how delicious it was and quickly grabbed the bag to then pretend he was escaping with it. Changkyun laughed and gave them to him as a gift. “Are you sure?” Kihyun seemed confused but then he remembered the Ravenclaw boy didn’t like sweet stuff that much. “Oh, you don’t like them”

“No, not that much” Changkyun smiled at the boy in front of him. “Hey... I should be leaving... Jooheon and Belle are waiting for me” he sadly said. “What do you say if we hang out on Saturday? We’ll be both free from exams and I only have Quidditch training in the morning but Alana is acting like an angel after my accident” he chuckled and Kihyun nodded.

“Wait!” the Slytherin student rushed to grab his wrist before he could turn around and leave. “Can I go with you? To the Hospital Wing, I mean” Kihyun asked and Changkyun nodded. After that, the walked side by side through the corridors, oblivious to the fact that they were both thinking about confessing on Saturday.

 

 

 

Their Apparition exam went well that Wednesday. They all passed except for Jooheon - in their group of friends - and they decided to go celebrate to the Grounds with the Butter Beer they bought and some Honeydukes sweets too. Jooheon was relaxed that afternoon, he wasn’t complaining nor crying anymore and his mood was up. Belle was relieved because she expected him to start vomiting again and she didn’t feel like being inside the Hospital the whole day. Changkyun and Kihyun sat side by side in the big circle and they were receiving curious glances from some sixth year students. They were all outside because the day was perfect and the exam was almost perfect. Wilkie Twycross congratulated them, saying it was one of the best exams he saw in all those years. “Hey” Kihyun whispered in Changkyun’s ear. “They are staring at us... should we change seats?” the pink haired seemed nervous and the Ravenclaw boy chuckled.

“Let them be, we aren’t doing anything weird, are we?” Changkyun answered. “They are just surprised because we used to hate each other and we usually hide when we are being friendly around each other” he said, hoping it was enough for Kihyun to stay by his side. “Don’t you want to stop hiding already?” he asked when the other showed no response. His eyes were wide and he seemed to be contemplating his whole existence before he finally opened his mouth to talk.

“Y-yes, I want to” Kihyun stuttered a bit and suddenly intertwined their fingers to squeeze his hand. Changkyun was surprised but it didn’t last long, the pink haired only did it to show affection towards him and he unconsciously pouted. “I wanted to apologize for being so distrustful and asking you to hide so many times... I just hate rumors and I hate gossip people” the pink haired avoided eye contact and Changkyun noticed he was blushing.

“It’s okay, I don’t mind because I hate the same things you hate” the Ravenclaw boy smiled. “I just found it weird you didn’t want to tell your friends we were okay but I understood the moment I met them” Changkyun made Kihyun laugh.

“Hey!” the Bloom sisters yelled in unison and he realized he was being loud while talking with the pink haired.

“Sorry!” Changkyun and Kihyun laughed out loud and Hyungwon joined them. The others didn’t even hear them so they all ignored them and kept on talking while drinking Butter Beer and eating different kinds of sweets. They stayed there just doing nothing in particular and, when they were about to return to their respective Common Rooms, Kihyun hugged him. The blonde went to bed feeling extremely happy and he couldn’t stop smiling while staring at the ceiling.

 

 

 

When Saturday finally arrived, Kihyun was a bundle of nerves. He woke up at 5am and started imagining different scenarios about his confession. In some of them, he got rejected, even if deep inside he was sure Changkyun liked him back. He couldn’t have that much hope, having hope was bad because if things didn’t go as he thought they would, he would immediately break down. Yoo Kihyun was strong, he needed to be strong and get ready for everything. His hands were shaking a little when he took a glance at his wristwatch for the umpteenth time. __‘7 o’clock already’__  he thought but he didn’t know what he would do while Changkyun was training. __‘How am I supposed to wait that long? He said we should hang out in the afternoon’__  he flipped over until his was laying on his stomach and he hid his face in his pillow while he tried not to go crazy. The pink haired never experienced such anxiety before. His life had been as he pleased until that moment but he was scared at that time because he didn’t have full control of the situation. How could Jooheon confess if he was such a coward? Kihyun wasn’t a coward but, why was it that hard?

Once he felt the need of air, he lifted his head from his pillow and started playing with his bracelet, staring at it as he spaced out. The green curtains looked black due to the lack of light in the dormitory and he could hear his classmates snoring. __‘I cannot stay here anymore’__  he thought and kicked his sheets to then open the curtains covering his bed. He quietly walked to the bathroom and got dressed in his casual clothes, going out of the dormitory when he was ready. The Common Room’s green, dim light illuminated the place and he was glad it was completely empty. Who else would wake up at 5am on a Saturday? That was an idiotic thing to do considering they were the whole week studying and practicing. He had the chance to sleep more but he was wide awake, all because of Changkyun. __‘It’s his fault I suddenly have feelings’__  he growled, dragging his feet to the nearest couch. He still felt embarrassed for spacing out in his Quidditch training on Friday’s afternoon and he also felt embarrassed for getting an ‘Exceeds Expectations’ in their Charms exam. It was such a stupid spell he couldn’t take it seriously and Changkyun was right when he said he had to think otherwise or it wouldn’t work on his first try. __‘It’s all his fault’__  he thought again and sighed in annoyance. He was trying to blame his crush but he was the one getting distracted.

Kihyun stayed there thinking and time flew. He didn’t know what time it was when Hollie entered the Common Room yawning, dressed in some leggings and a long t-shirt. “Oh, hey” the girl waved her hand at the pink haired and walked to the couch to sit by his side. She had a book in her hand and her brunette hair was tied up in a bun. “Why are you up so early, Kihyunnie? It’s Saturday” she asked and Kihyun sighed. __‘Should I tell her?’__  he thought and seriously contemplated if he should do it or not. His heart was beating so fast inside his chest since he woke up he was scared it would explode at some point. He tried to confess two times and he couldn’t. The first time Hyungwon interrupted him and the second one his guts flew out of the Wooden Bridge’s window.

“I just... couldn’t sleep” Kihyun replied, staring at his lap while he did his best not to blush. The Slytherin boy knew Hollie was probably aware of his nervousness but he didn’t like anyone fussing over him. He could take care of himself, he didn’t need his friends to get over his fears. Liking someone wasn’t something weird, he had to be able to pull it off without help, right? But then he remembered liking a boy wasn’t that normal and he wouldn’t be able to stand it if rumors started spreading around Hogwarts. If they started dating after his confession, Changkyun would seriously have to listen to him about hiding their relationship because he couldn’t risk it. If his father found out he liked a boy - a half-blood boy - he would be dead meat.

“Is it about Changkyun?” Hollie brought him back to reality with those words and interrupted those awful thoughts. “Don’t worry, everything will be okay” the girl caressed his back, leaving the book on her lap. “I’m sure he likes you back, be brave and do it” she smiled and Kihyun chuckled.

“What if he doesn’t?” the pink haired asked and Hollie rolled her eyes playfully.

“Tsk! Please” the girl paused. “He’s head over heels for you, I’m sure” Hollie seemed certain and Kihyun felt a little more confident after hearing her words. It was the first time he didn’t feel uncomfortable telling her something but, now that he thought about it, the Bloom sisters helped him a lot. He was always trying to look tough and showing a fake personality around people to be respected. He saw Changkyun as someone inferior but the blonde was never pretending to be something he was not. The Bloom sisters made him realize he couldn’t keep that silly game of hiding from others, even if they were annoying as hell.

“Thank you, Hollie” Kihyun thanked her because he felt he needed to. “I’m so scared... can you tell me how to confess? I’ve been thinking since 5am and I cannot figure out the best way of doing it” he whined as his heart kept on beating fast inside his chest. Changkyun’s face appeared in his mind every second and he got more anxious.

“Trust me, I have no experience in confessing” Hollie chuckled. “But I suggest you just tell him the truth” the girl patted his back. “Do you want to have breakfast? I really need coffee” Hollie asked and Kihyun nodded, maybe he would be able to stop thinking and getting nervous for a while. Besides, he was extremely hungry and his nerves didn’t help. The pink haired wasn’t like Changkyun, he didn’t stop eating when he was anxious, he ate more. So, after Hollie looked for her Slytherin robe in the girls dormitory, they both headed to the Great Hall. Thankfully, Changkyun was there when they arrived and Kihyun managed to relax a little after seeing his cute smile. __‘Hollie is right, I must tell him the truth... if he doesn’t like me, he won’t stop talking to me, I’m sure of it’__  he thought and greeted Changkyun once he had to leave for his Quidditch training.

 

Changkyun was exhausted after training and, even if he was craving for a good nap, he headed to the third floor. They already had lunch together with their friends and the blonde assured Kihyun he would just go change his clothes before meeting him in their secret room. It suddenly started raining so the Ravenclaw student made sure to take extra coats in case Kihyun was cold. He loved protecting the pink haired from the cold and he found it cute how he shivered with just a slight breeze. That morning, he woke up thinking he would confess no matter what and there he was, walking fast through the Hogwarts corridors and hoping he wouldn’t run into Slughorn or someone chatty. Changkyun could only concentrate in Kihyun and he couldn’t wait to be with him. __‘Wait... what if he says yes?’__  he stopped in the middle of the Clock Entrance and frowned. He was pretty sure the Slytherin boy liked him back but he never truly thought about what to do if he accepted his love confession. __‘I’ve never kissed anyone!’__  he panicked and started hoping Kihyun wouldn’t notice he had no experience at all. Changkyun took a deep breath, squeezed the coats he was carrying and kept on walking with no hesitation.

After turning around a corner, he spotted Kihyun standing by the secret room’s wooden door, moving his feet impatiently while whispering something to himself. Changkyun contemplated him for a few seconds with a soft smile resting on his features. It was an unusual sight; Kihyun was never that nervous before and the blonde liked to see him like that. He slowly walked in his direction and made sure to be loud enough for the other to realize he was there. “Oh, hi!” Kihyun kind of yelled and he awkwardly hugged him. It was a little clumsy and too fast for Changkyun to circle his arms around his form but he didn’t mind. The Slytherin boy hugging him was something he enjoyed every single time, even if it didn’t happen that often.

“Hi” Changkyun greeted back and saw his companion blushing. “I brought coats in case you got cold” they both chuckled with those words. “And I brought...” he paused, searching for something inside the pocket of the jacket he was wearing. “Tada! Chocolate covered raisins” he finally found the tiny bag of sweets and showed it to Kihyun.

“Wow, thanks! You are going to get me fat if you keep on feeding me” the pink haired joked, grabbing the food and pointing at the door after a short, awkward silence. Changkyun nodded and they both entered the room together. The lady of the portrait flashed them a warm grin before opening the passage and, when they were already in, they both stayed staring at the scenery in silence. Everything looked so beautiful under the gray sky and the pouring rain. Changkyun loved it, even if they wouldn’t be able to go outside. The Ravenclaw boy slowly walked to the door frame and sat on the floor. Kihyun wasted no time in following him and they both contemplated the green space in front of their eyes, full of gorgeous flowers and wooden benches.

“How relaxing” Kihyun sighed, calling the blonde’s attention. “I love the sound of the pouring rain” he added and Changkyun smiled toothlessly.

“Yeah, me too” he answered to then clear his throat. “Um... Kihyun” he called and he couldn’t help to feel nervous. His heart was racing and it skipped a bit when Kihyun’s gaze fell on him. They were staring at each other’s eyes and he knew it was the moment to do it. __‘Come on, don’t be a coward’__  he told himself and finally opened his mouth to talk.

“I like you”

Changkyun finally said it but his voice sounded weird and he realized Kihyun said the same thing at the same time. The two boys widened their eyes in surprise but started giggling right after. It was something they never experienced before and they were still thinking it was all too good to be true because none of them expected the other to like him back. Their giggles faded after minutes and they stared at each other without saying anything. They had matching grins on their faces and Changkyun slowly slid his hand through the stone floor, intertwining his fingers with Kihyun’s cold ones. Only the pouring rain could be heard around the room and, for the first time in weeks, they didn’t feel the rush of saying anything. The Slytherin student’s gaze slowly fell to his lips and Changkyun knew he had to kiss him. He placed his free palm on Kihyun’s cheek and leaned in, joining their lips together in an innocent kiss. Changkyun’s heart was about to explode inside his chest and he could feel Kihyun’s hand slightly trembling in his hold.

The Ravenclaw student couldn’t describe what it felt to kiss Kihyun, it was beyond amazing. He never imagined he would like someone so much and he didn’t want to part. Their lips started moving experimentally and the pink haired squeezed his hand. Changkyun didn’t know if that meant he was doing a good job or not but he couldn’t bring himself to care when he was enjoying it so much. They parted only when they felt the need of air and they both opened their eyes slowly, as if they couldn’t believe it was real.

Kihyun chuckled after a short silence and suddenly got up, running to the green garden before Changkyun could stop him. “What are you doing?” the Ravenclaw boy yelled because Kihyun was getting soaked under the rain.

“What? Are you scared of the water?” the pink haired yelled back and Changkyun giggled, hesitating a little before following his companion. When he finally reached his spot, Kihyun circled his neck with his arms and flashed him a tiny smile. He looked gorgeous, even if his hair was sticking to his face and he looked paler than ever under the gray sky. Changkyun hugged him back, getting lost in his eyes. “I want my second kiss under the rain” Kihyun said, regretting it right away at how cheesy the sentence was. He blushed and hid his face in Changkyun’s chest but didn’t let go. The blonde laughed, gently lifting Kihyun’s face from his chin to then give him a quick peck on the lips. “I want a better one” he demanded, chuckling before he claimed Changkyun’s lips again.

They spent the whole afternoon together, talking and sharing short kisses from time to time. It was funny how fast they relaxed around each other after confessing and they felt as if they had been together for a long time already. When they were about to leave the secret room - all drenched and already sneezing - they stopped and stared at each other with foolish smiles. “So, what are we now?” Kihyun asked, breaking the silence. “Do you want to be my- achoo! you know... the word with b- achoo!” he said and Changkyun laughed, covering him with one of the extra coats he had - those were dry because he left them inside of the room, thankfully -.

“Yes- achoo! Ah, damn” Changkyun cursed because he couldn’t stop sneezing. “I’d like to be your- achoo! B-boyfriend” he finished his reply and Kihyun gave him a quick peck on the lips before opening the wooden door and dragging him outside by his hand. The pink haired let go of it when students started appearing around the corridors but Changkyun didn’t mind, he knew Kihyun wouldn’t like it if anyone found out about their relationship. It was enough for him to know the Slytherin boy liked him back.

They walked side by side until they reached the Grand Staircase on the ground floor. The students were flashing them confused glances because of their wet clothes - their hair was already dry - so they decided to just greet each other. Kihyun intertwined their fingers to then squeeze his hand - sneezing in the process - and leave to his Common Room. Changkyun stared at him until he disappeared behind the door that guided him to the Dungeons and went back to his own Common Room, placed at the Ravenclaw Tower on the fifth floor.

His huge grin didn’t fade as he went upstairs and, when he entered his Common Room, Belle stood up from the armchair she was sitting on. “Bloody hell! What happened to you?! How did it go?!” she was extremely excited and curious as she dragged Changkyun into the room.

“I- achoo! I did it, Belle!” he said, following Belle to the boys dormitory. “We kissed under- achoo! The rain” he added and the girl turned around, starting to scream like crazy while she hugged him. The few boys that were inside the dormitory didn’t hear Changkyun but they all rolled their eyes when they saw Belle in there once again.

“I’m so proud of you!!” Belle parted from him and shook him from his shoulders, not able to contain her happiness. “Now, go take a shower and change! You have to tell me every single detail but I don’t want you to get sick” she ordered and Changkyun chuckled.

“I guess I- achoo! Already caught a cold- achoo!” he couldn’t stop sneezing but it was all worth it. He turned around after Belle scolded him for being irresponsible and walked into the bathroom without losing his bright smile.

 

When Kihyun entered his Common Room tiptoeing not to be heard, he had no luck. All his Slytherin classmates turned around to see him and got surprised at his wet clothes. The pink haired ignored them and slowly went to the corner where his friends were sitting. The other students raised their shoulders and continued with their activities so he could finally grin at his friends. “You did it?!” Lucy whispered not to be heard but she was so excited she couldn’t stay still on the black sofa.

“I- achoo! Did it” Kihyun answered and the three of them hugged him. “Don’t- achoo! Touch me” he protested, making the others roll their eyes.

“Okay, we won’t touch you anymore if you tell us what happened” Hollie clapped excitedly and Kihyun gave up, telling them everything in the lowest tone of voice he could use.


	15. Falling deeper for you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!! Here goes another chapter ^^
> 
> I hope you enjoy!! The next one will be the last chapter but there will be an epilogue :)
> 
> Thank you for all the support you've given me and for all those lovely comments <3

After their confession, the two boys caught a strong cold. On Sunday, they had to go to the Hospital because they had a fever and Madam Pomfrey scolded them, saying Professor Slughorn told her they were both drenched the day before. “What were you doing outside on a rainy day?! You should take care of yourselves better!” those were Madam Pomfrey’s words when she dismissed them and told them to go rest inside their Common Rooms. They only managed to hold hands for a brief second and they stole one peck in the morning when they were sure no one was looking. Their friends were all smiling and trying their best not to tease them because Kihyun threatened everyone before they could open their mouths - even Jooheon and Belle -. Changkyun limited himself to watch the scene - and sneeze because he couldn’t stop - and then they all went to the Room of Requirement together. Kihyun was reluctant at first, saying he didn’t want to reveal the room to the others, but Changkyun convinced him, telling him it was the only place they would be able to relax in.

They asked for a warm place with a lot of seats - since the two boys were sick - and, when the door appeared on the wall of the seventh floor corridor, they got in. The room was full of sofas and tables as if it was one of their Common Rooms; it had some fireplaces and the floor was fully carpeted, letting them remove their shoes. Changkyun sat on a large couch and Kihyun automatically followed him. They intertwined their fingers and the pink haired started playing with Changkyun’s bracelet. The others were watching them and the three girls were so happy they couldn’t stop smiling brightly. The blonde felt a little uncomfortable but he didn’t tell Kihyun because he didn’t want him to get shy. It was a chance for them to be together like that before they had to start their classes again. He knew it would be hard to be in a relationship if they were planning to hide though he wished to make the Slytherin boy happy and he was willing to do whatever he said.

“We are so happy you are together” Belle spoke after a long silence and Kihyun stopped playing with Changkyun’s bracelet. “Oh, don’t worry! You can be yourselves around us! You can even kiss in front of us if you want to” Belle added, trying to be nice but the blonde was sure Kihyun would never do something like that. He was always complaining about people kissing in front of others and it would be stupid if he did it himself.

“We are not kissing in front of you three- achoo!” the Slytherin boy pointed at the three girls and they whined.

“Why~??” the girls protested in unison and then pouted but Kihyun didn’t care. Changkyun chuckled at their behavior and saw Hyungwon laughing, almost falling from the sofa he was on. Jooheon was rolling his eyes, circling his arms securely around Belle’s waist so she wouldn’t fall from his lap. The Ravenclaw boy knew the girls wouldn’t judge them if they kissed but Kihyun didn’t want them fangirling over their relationship. Changkyun just gave him a peck on his cheek to tease him and the girls seemed satisfied.

“Don’t kiss me in front of them!” Kihyun growled. “I already told them everything- achoo!, they should be satisfied with my story” the pink haired scolded him and he apologized. Jooheon changed the subject so Kihyun wouldn’t feel uncomfortable and they started talking normally, as if nothing new happened. Hyungwon rested his head on Lucy’s thighs at some point and he easily fell asleep. Time flew like that and they managed to relax a lot. Kihyun didn’t notice when Changkyun circled an arm around his shoulders to bring him a little closer and he unconsciously rested his head on the blonde’s shoulder. They weren’t sneezing anymore thanks to Madam Pomfrey and their bodies finally relaxed, making them realize how tired they truly were. Changkyun felt Kihyun’s hand loosening and he wondered if he was still awake. Belle was talking about a funny story about Jooheon getting scared with some flowers the other day and she suddenly stopped to stare at the pink haired.

“Changkyunnie” she whispered and the boy waited for her to continue, already wondering why she was whispering. “He fell asleep” she pointed at Kihyun and Changkyun slowly turned his head to watch him. Belle was right, the Slytherin boy wasn’t moving and his body was lifelessly resting against his side.

“He didn’t sleep anything” Hollie said. “He was sneezing all night long and he decided to stay in our Common Room not to wake the others up” she explained and Changkyun chuckled because he did the same thing after Theodore shushed him the third time. His Quidditch partner apologized in the morning, feeling guilty about kicking him out of the dormitory when he couldn’t control his sneezing. Changkyun didn’t mind sleeping on the couch though, it was enormous and very comfy.

“I did the same thing” the blonde replied and the girls shook their heads.

“Why didn’t you stay in your bed? The others had to understand you were sick” Lucy spoke.

“Theodore shushed me a lot of times and we got sick because we were careless, it was entirely our fault” Changkyun didn’t think it was considerate to stay in the dormitory when all the others didn’t have anything to do with their idiotic behavior. They were the ones who got drenched with the rain only because they wanted to kiss under it.

“You are right but you were adorable! I wish I could have seen you kissing under the rain” Belle said and Changkyun thanked Kihyun was sleeping because he would have felt very uncomfortable. The Ravenclaw boy chuckled at her words and Jooheon did too. “What? I think they look adorable!” Belle pouted and Jooheon kissed it away. “Oh my! Look at the hour! We should head back to have dinner” the girl yelled and Kihyun moved a little but didn’t wake up, he just squeezed Changkyun as if he was a pillow and buried his face in his chest. “Aw!” Belle clapped silently while she was standing up together with Jooheon and the Bloom sisters. Hyungwon jumped in surprise when Lucy moved her legs to wake him and he quickly followed. “We are leaving” Belle whispered and they all waved their hands at Changkyun. The latter wanted to have dinner too but Kihyun was way to cute sleeping and he didn’t think he could move. He greeted his friends back and watched them leave, caressing Kihyun’s soft, pink hair.

Silence filled the room when the door closed behind the others and the blonde stared at his boyfriend’s sleeping face lovingly. It was the first time he saw him like that, completely vulnerable and relaxed. Changkyun’s heart was racing and he wondered if it would ever stop. They went over it, they confessed and kissed and talked about random things but, somehow, his heartbeats betrayed him every time he was with Kihyun. Maybe that was what Belle told him when she started loving Jooheon, maybe he was already in love with the Slytherin student and he hadn’t realized it because he hadn’t loved anyone before. “Am I in love with you?” he whispered, softly brushing Kihyun’s cheek with his fingers. Changkyun had already been thinking a lot about it but he couldn’t figure it out yet. He had no rush though, he would just let everything flow and he would surely find out later.

The Ravenclaw boy was hungry but he could forget about it. Kihyun was clinging to him and it was a unique moment, he couldn’t interrupt it. He stared at his boyfriend for long minutes until he felt it was late. Their professors would scold them and punish them if they walked through the corridors at night so Changkyun reluctantly woke Kihyun up with a kiss on his cheek. The pink haired sat up straight with a confused frown on his face but then smiled toothlessly at his companion, pecking his lips shortly. “What time is it?” Kihyun asked and yawned, covering his mouth with his palm while doing so.

“Um... 8pm” Changkyun got surprised at that because he believed it was later. “I thought it was already 9pm, I’m sorry I woke you” he apologized because they had one more hour before they had to head back to their Common Rooms.

“What?! You didn’t wake me up to have dinner!” Kihyun whined. “I’ll be so hungry tonight” he complained and the blonde felt a little guilty but he couldn’t do it when he looked so fluffy and adorable resting his head on his chest.

“I’m sorry... you looked cute and I couldn’t do it” Changkyun whispered, avoiding eye contact. The Slytherin boy didn’t react at first but he then lifted the blonde’s face up with his palm, making him stare back into his dark eyes. Kihyun wasted no time and kissed him, reminding him how good it was. The Slytherin student’s lips felt soft and plump against his own and he couldn’t get enough. They moved gently and innocently for long minutes. Changkyun circled his arms around Kihyun’s waist and the latter grabbed his hair to keep him in place. They were finally alone and it was the first real kiss they shared that day. They didn’t want to let go, their arms squeezed each other and they were enjoying the moment, wishing for it to last long.

The moment they parted, they both grinned and Kihyun gave his boyfriend a short peck on his nose. “I can’t believe we couldn’t kiss until now” the pink haired whispered and gave him another kiss. “I’m sorry for making you hide again... I cannot risk it... if everyone finds out I’m gay, my parents will and that wouldn’t be good” he explained but Changkyun already knew that, he didn’t need to be told twice. The Ravenclaw boy didn’t mind, he could hide. It wasn’t something that bad; they were together and that was the only thing that mattered. “They wouldn’t let me see you anymore and I’m sure my father would stop being your father’s friend” he added and Changkyun shut him up with a tender kiss on the lips.

“Don’t worry, I don’t mind” the blonde caressed his boyfriend’s face with his thumb. “Do you want to leave? We still have time to eat” Changkyun asked because he didn’t want Kihyun to think about the hiding issue that much. He felt like staying the whole school year in there with him but they would have to leave the room soon and it would be better not to find McGonagall walking back to her office. Kihyun sighed before answering, he seemed indecisive and Changkyun waited patiently for him.

“As much as I love kissing you, I won’t be able to sleep without eating so... yeah, let’s go” he replied and stood up, intertwining their fingers to drag Changkyun to the entrance door. Kihyun stopped before going out and kissed his boyfriend one last time, squeezing his hand while doing so. “One last kiss” he chuckled and Changkyun smiled, following him once they were out the seventh floor corridor. “We can hold hands until we see someone walking around” Kihyun whispered and the blonde laughed, not letting go of his boyfriend’s soft hand until they reached the ground floor and met some students returning to their respective Common Rooms. The Great Hall was almost empty and they had to eat as fast as they could. They were so relaxed after spending time together that they didn’t notice Robert glaring in their direction, already suspecting something.

 

 

 

 

A week after their confession, Kihyun was heading to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom together with his three friends and noticed Robert was following them. The pink haired didn’t like that guy and he started wondering what he was doing. Changkyun was oblivious and he didn’t want him to worry so he kept it to himself. The Slytherin boy turned around to pretend he was looking for someone and he caught Robert avoiding eye contact. It was so obvious it hurt but he decided to stay put. If he said something to that piece of trash, he was sure Professor Kim would punish him for fighting in the middle of the corridor. Kihyun was about to tell Hollie and Lucy about it when someone covered his eyes. The pink haired chuckled, certain it was Changkyun teasing him, and softly slapped the side of his head, making him whine. Kihyun told him a thousand times he wanted to hide their relationship but he didn’t mind his boyfriend playing around like that a little. The other students didn’t pay much attention to them; they were used to seeing them together since that day McGonagall punished them after they fought on the Grand Staircase. “How was Ancient Runes?” Kihyun asked the blonde when they were standing side by side, secretly holding hands. It wasn’t cold anymore but they wore their robes inside the castle sometimes and the cloth covered their linked fingers.

“It was okay, I guess... We are just practicing everything since we have an exam in 4 classes” Changkyun answered and Belle nodded. “You know, I realized we have only a month and a half left and the year will be over” he said and Kihyun was surprised to hear that. He still thought they had a lot of time left but the year was nearly over. The pink haired didn’t want it to end since they just started being in a relationship. “Will you come to my house?” Changkyun asked and Kihyun got surprised at the question. Hyungwon quickly replied with an enthusiastic ‘yes’ and the blonde laughed because the words clearly weren’t directed to him. “I was asking Kihyun but I’d like you all to come if you want to” the Ravenclaw boy was so polite all the time. “Belle and Jooheon already know my parents” he smiled and Belle nodded again.

“His mother is an angel, you should meet her” Belle said. “I don’t know his father that much because he arrived late when we went to his house” she pecked Jooheon’s cheek.

“Of course I’ll go” Kihyun whispered when Belle started telling them a story about her trying to use Changkyun’s skate and falling. “My father will be happy to hear that we became friends” he chuckled and the blonde flashed him a cute grin before Professor Kim arrived and interrupted their talk. Kihyun let go of his boyfriend’s hand and realized Robert was still staring at them. __‘What does he want?’__  he thought, ignoring him completely as they followed their professor into the classroom. Everything was dark but Professor Kim opened the windows, letting the sunlight in.

“Alright everyone, we’ll be practicing spells from today” Professor Kim spoke in his low voice while heading to the front of the class and then moved his dark green robe backwards. “I know you are bored but we have to practice for the exam. We have only 7 classes left and I want you all to pass” he added and all the students started mumbling, getting surprised at how close the end of the year was. “You’ll get in pairs” he paused and moved the tables aside using his wand. “And you’ll practice Levicorpus, the Disarming Charm and the Stunning Spell” they all growled and whined, thinking those spells were too simple for them. “Silence! You’ll use them nonverbally of course and I don’t want you to fight back from Levicorpus, I want you to use the counter-curse. You can defend yourselves from the other two spells” Professor Kim never talked so fast in his entire life and Kihyun got surprised. Maybe he realized they had no time left and he wanted them to do more things. Some of the students didn’t know how to do a proper Patronus Charm yet and he was getting worried. “Okay, start!” he commanded and they all started attacking.

Kihyun smirked before using Levicorpus against his boyfriend and they both chuckled after the latter successfully fell down to the floor again. “Don’t you feel like we turned back time?” Changkyun asked when he used Levicorpus too and Kihyun laughed, nodding while hanging from his ankle. They both earned points for doing it so fast and Professor Kim ordered them to go on with other thing because all Hogwarts knew their favorite spell was Levicorpus. “What do we do next?” the blonde made his wand flip over his fingers and it fell, making Kihyun muffle his laughter with his palm. Changkyun looked around, picking his wand up and pretending it never fell.

“I don’t know... I’m already bored of those spells” Kihyun growled. “Let’s go with the two of them together” he ordered and Changkyun nodded, starting to attack him. They had fun but just for a few minutes. They practiced a lot when they first learned those spells and they didn’t need to do it anymore. At the end of the class, Professor Kim dismissed them, quite satisfied about their performance. Fortunately, everyone knew how to do those simple spells and they wouldn’t have to practice next class. Professor Kim told them they would use mostly the Patronus Charm and everyone seemed okay with it.

The group of friends walked in the Great Hall’s direction and, when they were about to enter the place, something made Kihyun fall. The latter turned around and spotted Robert pretending to be innocent. Changkyun helped him up with a worried expression on his face but the pink haired was fine; he was just boiling in anger. “Are you okay? What made you fall?” the Ravenclaw boy was staring at him with those puppy eyes he loved so much and he managed to calm him down a little. Fighting with that person wasn’t worth it. Robert was pathetic, no one would do something that lame to hurt someone and Kihyun considered him too inferior to care. __‘It’s just a scratch’__  he breathed deeply and smiled at his boyfriend.

“I’m fine, I tripped on my own foot” he lied but Changkyun was not buying it. He looked around while holding Kihyun’s hands though Robert already left. “What is it?” the pink haired asked and the blonde shook his head, quickly letting go of his hands.

“Nothing... are you sure you are okay?” Changkyun checked on Kihyun’s knee, touching it softly. “Does it hurt?” he spoke while his delicate hands made sure he had no wound.

“No, it doesn’t” Kihyun forced him up before someone saw them. He could feel their friends’ burning stares on them and he could also imagine the three girls smiling knowingly at their actions. “I’m seriously fine” he patted Changkyun’s shoulder and then pecked his cheek quickly not to make him feel pushed away. Kihyun was scared his boyfriend would get mad at him after all those times he told him not to touch him so he made it up for him with those tiny details. He blushed deeply after doing it and walked fast to the Great Hall, leaving the others behind. He couldn’t stand the girls’ stupid grins and Hyungwon’s laughter so he decided to just sit on the Slytherin table and wait for them. Changkyun ran in between the long tables and stopped by his side.

“Thank you for that kiss” he whispered in his deep voice. “You don’t need to do it though, I won’t get mad if you push me away” he added and Kihyun chuckled.

“I just feel bad after pushing you” the pink haired whispered back while he moved aside for Hyungwon to sit down. Changkyun smiled at his boyfriend and caressed his hair softly before sitting on the Ravenclaw table together with Belle and Jooheon - yeah, the Gryffindor boy never got back to his own table after confessing to his girlfriend -. Kihyun blushed again at the touch and tried not to look so affected because the Bloom sisters were already making those annoying smiles.

 

 

 

Since the end of the school year was nearing, some of their classes were turning boring while some others were turning incredibly difficult. Potions class was an example of the difficult ones; Professor Slughorn made them prepare __Felix Felicis__ and they had a strong headache when they went out of the Dungeons. Hyungwon’s potion ended up on the floor after he accidentally hit his cauldron with his elbow but Professor Slughorn let him start over. No one managed to do it perfectly because it was extremely difficult and they were all frustrated while walking to the ground floor that Monday. Kihyun and Changkyun had a hard time concentrating in Care of Magical Creatures but Hagrid was nice enough to let them rest a little before class ended. They had dinner in silence and went to bed because their headache wouldn’t leave them alone.

On Tuesday, Professor Sprout made them practice for their exam and they had to write about all the things they saw. Hyungwon complained more than ever and Jooheon ended up crying in Belle’s arms after their Herbology lesson. In the afternoon, they all went to the Courtyard to relax and Kihyun spotted Robert sitting with Trevor, Minhyuk and other Gryffindors not far away from where they were. He was staring at them so Kihyun made sure not to touch Changkyun in any way. He always played with his bracelet or held his hand secretly but he couldn’t risk it when that twat seemed to be trying to discover something. The pink haired didn’t want the whole school to find out about their relationship and Robert would surely spread the rumor if he had material to do it. After dinner, Changkyun asked him if everything was okay and he gave him a couple of sneaky kisses to make sure he wouldn’t feel insecure. Kihyun didn’t realize how much he missed those lips until that moment and he suddenly wished they could kiss in public without needing to worry about others. Belle and Jooheon did it all the time and no one said anything; it was so unfair. Kihyun was falling for Changkyun more each day and he couldn’t believe he thought the boy was an idiot. They didn’t want to let go when they went back to their respective Common Rooms that night but they did it anyway.

The whole week went like that; them hiding to kiss at some parts of the day where they could get rid of their friends, Robert trying to find a reason to spread a rumor around Hogwarts and everyone going crazy due to their nearing exams. Professor Adwell made them see what hell would be like on Friday morning and, in the afternoon, they didn’t have any energy left for their Quidditch training. Kihyun was nice with his team because he was tired too; even if they had a match the next morning. Hufflepuff wasn’t as easy to defeat as Gryffindor. They had good players but Kihyun wasn’t worried because Slytherin would surely win the Quidditch Cup that year. Changkyun having an accident made them have a good chance and they doubted Ravenclaw would be able to score more points than Slytherin. “Well done, everyone! See you tomorrow morning to crash Hufflepuff” he ended the training and went back to the dressing rooms without saying another word. Hyungwon seemed to be struggling not to fall asleep and Lucy didn’t even go to the Quidditch pitch that afternoon because she wanted to sleep. Hollie was the only one that could stay awake but she looked tired anyway and she quickly returned to the castle.

Kihyun was left alone in the dressing rooms after Hyungwon announced he would skip dinner because he was dead tired and the pink haired got surprised when someone hugged him from behind. He quickly turned his head to the side and smiled when he found Changkyun resting his chin on his shoulder. “I missed you” he whispered in that deep voice Kihyun loved to hear and squeezed his waist with his slim arms.

“Me too” the Slytherin boy whispered back and turned around to hug his boyfriend properly. There was no one around and he seriously needed him. They were together for a week already and Kihyun couldn’t recall when was the last time they had a moment to be alone after their confession last Saturday. They only kissed for a while on Sunday but they couldn’t do much because they were always surrounded by people. Kihyun parted from the hug to peck his companion’s lips and they stared into each other’s eyes without saying a word. “Where you watching our training?” Kihyun asked after a few minutes of silence.

“Yes” Changkyun kissed his lips once again. “You are such a good captain, I thought you would be yelling at them the whole time but you were quite soft, you surprised me” the blonde made him blush because he felt a little ashamed of his behavior. He always showed a strong side but he felt his team wouldn’t respond if he acted that way around them so he had a different tactic. “Oh, don’t be ashamed! It’s just a compliment” Changkyun chuckled to then peck his lips gently.

“Um... thanks, Changkyun” Kihyun grinned and parted to go sit on one of the wooden benches. Changkyun followed him and took a bag of those damn chocolates Kihyun liked so much out of his pocket. “Why are you giving me more of these? I’m gonna get fat!” he complained and the Ravenclaw boy giggled.

“You won’t get fat” Changkyun kissed his cheek. “Kihyunnie~” he used a funny tone of voice to say that stupid nickname and Kihyun had to glare at him because he didn’t like it. The Bloom sisters used it without his permission and he thought it was completely unnecessary. “Why don’t you like it? Isn’t it normal to have nicknames for each other if we are together?” he asked and the pink haired thought about it. He didn’t know if he could call Changkyun differently. He had trouble calling him by his name and he didn’t think he would be able to use an idiotic nickname.

“I don’t know, I just don’t like it” Kihyun avoided eye contact while he tied up his shoes. When he lifted his gaze, he found his boyfriend flipping his wand over his fingers with those puppy eyes he used every time he felt sad or betrayed. Why was he like that? Kihyun would do it later - maybe - but he wasn’t ready after a week of dating. He felt it was too soon to use those stupid things though Changkyun wasn’t like him and maybe he wanted to be more affectionate. The blonde hugged his friends a lot and he seemed to enjoy skin-ship but the Slytherin boy didn’t like anyone touching him. They were different in those aspects and it would be difficult for Kihyun to feel comfortable calling his boyfriend ‘Changkyunnie’ or something similar. “Hey” the pink haired punched his companion’s arm softly. “I’ll try” he whispered and saw Changkyun’s smile coming back to his face. The latter pecked Kihyun’s lips tenderly to then hug him, making him giggle. “You are unbelievable” the Slytherin boy intertwined their fingers and got up because he was ready to leave the dressing rooms.

“Kihyunnie, are we leaving?” Changkyun asked, following him without letting go of his hand. The slightly elder male flinched a little when he heard the nickname - it was weird coming out of Changkyun’s lips instead of the Bloom sisters’ - but decided to just ignore it and get used to it slowly. The blonde was following every silly rule he had and he could let him decide about that aspect of their relationship.

“Yes, we have a lot to study and I have a match tomorrow morning, remember?” Kihyun said and the blonde pouted. The Slytherin boy kissed it away to then drag his boyfriend to the empty pitch. It was good they could hold hands while walking and they got to spend the rest of the evening together studying in the Library. Even if they could only kiss a few times, they had a good time and Kihyun felt ready to kick Hufflepuff’s ass the next morning.

 

 

 

Changkyun wished Kihyun, Hyungwon and Hollie good luck when they left the Great Hall, even if he knew they wouldn’t need it. The blonde was having breakfast with Jooheon and Belle and the three of them had Slytherin flags and hats on top of the Ravenclaw table. Lucy was sitting alone on the Slytherin table but she stood up, moving Changkyun a little to sit by his side. “Hi” she said and the blonde chuckled. “I’m here because my friends left me alone” she pouted as a joke and they all started talking until Professor McGonagall announced they should go to the Quidditch pitch. The crowd of students stood up and they all walked in the same direction. The day was cloudy but it didn’t look like it was about to rain. Changkyun followed his friends but they had to split up once they reached the pitch because each house had a different terrace. Belle grabbed the blonde’s hand not to lose him in between the Ravenclaw students and they found a good place to watch. They both wore the Slytherin hats - Changkyun placed it carefully not to mess his hair too much - and took the flags out of their pockets, waiting for the two teams to finally appear.

Changkyun was feeling anxious because he never saw Kihyun playing after they started being friends. It was something totally new to him to support Slytherin instead of Hufflepuff where his Art friends were but he knew Hoseok and Bryony wouldn’t get mad at him. They were both happy Kihyun and him were ‘friends’ - no one new they were together as a couple - so they didn’t mind him cheering for Slytherin. “Did you kiss Kihyun before he left?” Belle whispered in his ear, using a playful tone of voice. She knew it was impossible for them to kiss in the Great Hall considering Robert was staring at them 24/7. Changkyun noticed it days ago when he made Kihyun fall and he had been helping his boyfriend dodge Robert’s idiotic attempts to make him fail in their Potions class or confusing him with a Confundus Charm in their Transfiguration class so Professor Adwell scolded him. Changkyun knew Kihyun noticed Robert staring too but he was too distracted to notice the other things. The blonde didn’t want to tell him because he believed the Slytherin boy would confront Robert and that wouldn’t be good.

“Of course not” Changkyun answered, rolling his eyes at his best friend. “I wish I could kiss him all day like you do with Jooheony” he sighed and Belle patted his back in a comforting manner. “But it’s okay... he let me call him Kihyunnie” they both chuckled at that.

“That’s a big step! I mean, he didn’t want to hold hands with you at first but he let you do it secretly after two days of being your boyfriend and I’ve seen his smile every time you cover his eyes playfully or tickle him when he’s distracted” Belle tried to cheer him up and she was achieving her objective. Changkyun felt a lot better hearing those words because he wasn’t aware of Kihyun’s little gestures and he knew the three girls were very observant. “You are way too adorable when you are together, even if you are just talking” the girl continued. “You have a spark” she said and Changkyun smiled.

“Thanks, Belle” he replied. “You are adorable with Jooheony too” he complimented. “And I’m wondering when Lucy will confess to Hyungwon” he brushed his chin with his index finger while thinking and Belle raised her shoulders, muttering a simple ‘no idea’ before the Hufflepuff team entered the pitch, showing an incredible performance. The two friends watched them and cheered for them, yelling Hoseok’s and Bryony’s names. The three Chasers, Hoseok, Hyunwoo and Kate were making fantastic figures all around the towers and terraces while the Beaters, Bryony and Lila made different ones together. It was like a choreography and Changkyun knew Hoseok had the idea because he loved designing every performance, even if it wasn’t necessary. He loved showing his team beautifully around the Quidditch pitch and it was fun to watch. The Keeper, Dylan, flew around the three rings making difficult tricks and the Seeker, Noah, was high up in the sky making dangerous turns. Belle and Changkyun clapped excitedly until Madam Hooch announced the Slytherin team.

When the players started going out of the wooden doors, Changkyun’s eyes couldn’t stop staring at Kihyun. He forgot to breathe for a few seconds as the pink haired boy showed his talent. Seeing him so determined and confident made Changkyun’s heart race and he realized he never had the chance to see him flying like that. He watched their training the day before but they were all tired and it wasn’t the same. Kihyun’s determination was stronger when he had to compete against another team and Changkyun admired that aspect of his personality. __‘How can I like everything about him?’__  he thought and suddenly remembered all the times he contemplated the idea of being in love with him. What did it feel like to be in love? Maybe he could ask Belle about it but he was pretty certain his feelings for Kihyun were stronger each day. He started liking him long ago and it wouldn’t be too fast to fall in love, right? Changkyun wished to be with him all day long and he got sad every time they weren’t able to kiss or hold hands. He also thought Kihyun was the most gorgeous person in the entire world and he couldn’t stop staring at him. __‘I think that’s what love feels like...’__  he thought while spacing out, not tearing his eyes away from his boyfriend, who flied skillfully on his expensive broom.

Madam Hooch didn’t take long to make her usual announcement and she threw the Quaffle in the air after releasing the other three balls. The Bludgers flew around the pitch in a fast speed and the Snitch disappeared from their sight. The two teams started playing and Slytherin caught the Quaffle first. Changkyun never noticed how fast Hollie was because he was blinded by hate before but he was very surprised by the Slytherin team. “And~ Hollie Bloom scores! Dylan was a little distracted” Minhyuk commented, trying hard not to insult Slytherin because he believed every word Robert said about Kihyun and he was mad at him. “And Olivia scores” the Gryffindor commentator boringly spoke. “Come on, Dylan, don’t be an idiot!” Minhyuk yelled and Professor McGonagall scolded him. “Sorry, Headmistress” he apologized and kept on going, commenting everything he could.

The match was fun. Both teams were strong but Slytherin was way stronger. Hufflepuff ended up with 60 points while Slytherin got 140 points before Kihyun caught the Snitch. Noah was too slow to notice the small, golden ball and the pink haired boy was fast. Hoseok congratulated his team anyway and Changkyun saw them celebrating for getting at least 60 points against such a strong opponent. Now Ravenclaw had more pressure and the blonde was sure Alana would make them stay longer that afternoon. They had to move their training to the afternoon because the match was in the morning and they only had one last training before their final match against Gryffindor. They had to practice a lot so they got points fast and he caught the Snitch before Minhyuk spotted it.

Changkyun interrupted his thoughts when his eyes landed on Kihyun again and he felt a hand grabbing his wrist to then drag him downstairs. Belle was ahead from him, walking fast in between the crowd of students and she ran the moment they touched the grass with their shoes. She went to hug Hollie and she repeated the same actions with Hyungwon. She hesitated with Kihyun because the latter wasn’t affectionate but congratulated him anyway, feeling the need of it. Changkyun did the same thing when he reached their spot and he got surprised the moment Kihyun hugged him tightly, keeping a happy smile on his features. The blonde squeezed him, grinning widely when they parted. Their friends were staring at them with their jaws dropping but they stopped when the Slytherin team started frowning, wondering what just happened that it was so interesting. “Congrats, you all!” Belle yelled, trying to distract them. The Slytherin students thanked her and all of them headed to the dressing rooms except for Kihyun. Their friends left the two of them alone on purpose and, as the Quidditch pitch emptied, they got a little bit closer.

When there was no one left, Kihyun gave him a quick peck on the lips and they hugged again. “I must tell you we’ll win the Quidditch Cup this year” the pink haired whispered in his ear, making him giggle. They always liked teasing each other and Kihyun never missed the chance to do it.

“And I must tell you we have a chance. We’ll go against Gryffindor” Changkyun whispered back and pecked his boyfriend’s cheek to then part. They stared into each other’s eyes for a while and then intertwined their fingers - Changkyun using his left hand and Kihyun using his right hand because Changkyun asked Kihyun to do it like that a few days ago so their bracelets joined -, heading to the dressing rooms like the rest of the students. They were so immersed in each other’s eyes that they failed to notice Robert watching from a corner. The Gryffindor student saw them holding hands and he was already planning to do something about it. “Should we let go? Someone could see us” Changkyun spoke when they were about to enter the dressing rooms.

“Yes, Cha-Changkyunnie” Kihyun blushed the moment he said it and the blonde couldn’t help to hug him tightly, letting go just in time before Ethan went out of the room, wearing his casual clothes.

 

 

 

The next day, Kihyun and Changkyun decided to spend some time alone. The Grounds of Hogwarts were empty that Sunday morning so they were heading there. They wanted to sit near the Dark Forest but they almost jumped in surprise when they reached the end of the Wooden Bridge. What they found there wasn’t something they expected to see. The boyfriends hid behind the entrance of the Wooden Bridge and stared at the scene with wide eyes. Near one of the huge stones of the Sundial Garden were Lucy and Hyungwon, kissing the daylights out of each other. The blonde couldn’t believe his eyes but he was glad Lucy finally decided to do it. It was weird to find them outside the castle and it was even weirder to find them kissing. Changkyun turned to look at his companion and couldn’t help to laugh when he saw him scrunching his nose in disgust. Kihyun didn’t want that to happen so the situation was even funnier after seeing his expression. “Oh, come on, Kihyunnie” Changkyun whispered, giving his boyfriend a sweet kiss on his nose. “Just be happy for them” he said and Kihyun rolled his eyes.

“I won’t be happy” the pink haired sighed. “They will be all day long kissing like your horny best friends, Belle and Jooheon” Kihyun made Changkyun laugh out loud and the other two suddenly stopped, turning around to find a startled Kihyun covering Changkyun’s mouth with his palm.

“Go on, we were just heading to the Dark Forest. Ignore us” the Ravenclaw student grabbed his boyfriend’s wrist to drag him further into the Grounds of Hogwarts and he made a thumbs up when he passed by Hyungwon’s side. Kihyun slapped his hand, wishing for him to stop cheering on Lucy and Hyungwon. He wasn’t happy and he wanted his boyfriend to feel the same way. Hyungwon laughed at the sight of Kihyun’s annoyed behavior and Lucy raised her eyebrows twice, teasing Kihyun. They went on after the two boys kept on walking and Changkyun finally managed to make his boyfriend relax. They sat under a tree at the Dark Forest’s borders and stayed in silence for a few seconds, just staring at the scenery. The grass was extremely green and the weather was warm; it was a perfect day to be outside.

“Changkyun” Kihyun called his name. “I mean, Changkyun-nie” he struggled to say it. “Do you hate it when I’m like this?” he asked and he seemed very worried. Changkyun didn’t hate anything about Kihyun, he loved everything about Kihyun, but maybe he didn’t show it that much. The pink haired was a little insecure when it came to their relationship and he understood. He wasn’t that confident either since Kihyun was his first boyfriend but he was trying his best and he was happy.

“Of course not, you are cute” Changkyun replied, giving Kihyun a soft kiss on the lips.

“Is there anything you hate about me? I won’t get mad, you can be honest” the pink haired squeezed his hand and stared expectantly into his eyes.

“I don’t hate anything about you, I promise” he smiled in reassurance and Kihyun flashed him a happy grin. “Do you hate anything about me?” Changkyun hesitantly asked because he knew the Slytherin boy surely had something to say.

“Mm... let me think” Kihyun thought for a few seconds and the blonde’s heart was about to explode inside his chest. He was dying to know but, at the same time, he didn’t want to. “I hate it when we cannot kiss during the day” he finally answered and Changkyun chuckled. The sentence was cheesy and Kihyun didn’t say those things often. “Disgustingly cheesy” he shook his head. “Why did I say something like that? I feel so filthy” he made Changkyun laugh and he joined in seconds later. They laughed for a while and, when they stopped, they locked their lips in a gentle kiss. Their arms circled each other’s bodies and Kihyun’s fingers brushed Changkyun’s blond locks while their lips moved tenderly. “I... I like you so much, mudblood” the Slytherin boy teased him, making him chuckle.

“I like you a lot too, Kihyunnie” he smiled and kissed Kihyun once again.


	16. The end of the school year

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone!! I'm back with the last chapter :D  
> It's quite long (or maybe that's just what I think hahaha) so I hope you enjoy and I hope you don't find it empty!  
> I want to thank everyone for the gorgeous comments and for all the support you've given me <3<3  
> I'm greatful and I will write and epilogue for all of you :3 <3  
> Thanks again!!

Changkyun couldn’t believe he was already chasing after the golden Snitch. Alana had a strategy to win more points but Minhyuk was fast enough to notice the Snitch flying a few meters away from the two of them and he had no other option than to go behind it. His broom was faster than Minhyuk’s so it wouldn’t be hard for him but he wanted to have more points before catching it. Luck wasn’t on Ravenclaw’s side that year and maybe they should surrender and let Slytherin win. It was always like that, they won one year and Slytherin won the next one, they needed to face it. Alana saw him when he was about to close his hand around the golden ball and she yelled like a crazy woman, telling him to stop. Changkyun couldn’t stop, he already had it and Minhyuk wasn’t that far from him so he pretended to be deaf. Even if Ravenclaw won with 200 points, it wasn’t enough for them to win the Quidditch Cup and Alana wasn’t happy. “Changkyun! I was telling you to stop! What part of it didn’t you understand, huh?” she set her long, curly, blond hair free and started walking in the Seeker’s direction once they were safely standing on the grass of the pitch. The boy didn’t know what to do, the captain seemed to be burning in anger and maybe he would receive a punch in the face. “I’m so mad at you right now I feel like I could spit fire, Im Changkyun!” she stopped right in front of the Seeker and took a deep breath not to strangle him.

“Alana, wait, don’t be mad at me, Minhyuk saw the Snitch and there was nothing I could do about it! We had only 50 points and, if he caught the Snitch first, we would have lost” he explained because he didn’t deserve that. Changkyun never did something wrong on purpose and he believed he made the right decision back there. They would be in second place thanks to his smart decision. If he hadn’t had caught the Snitch, they would had been in third place because Hufflepuff had a lot of points too.

“We lost anyway! Now Slytherin won the Quidditch Cup this year and look at them celebrating” she growled, turning around angrily to then head to the dressing rooms without saying another word. His teammates were watching the scene and Changkyun could sense their fear. Alana was imposing and scary when she was telling them what to do and the blonde knew it but there was nothing he could do about it. The whole Slytherin was throwing hats in the air and screaming but he got surprised when he found Kihyun, Hyungwon and the Bloom sisters by his side. They all hugged him and Kihyun messed his blond strands up with his hand.

“You’ve lost your chance, we won” Kihyun whispered in his ear as a joke but then frowned when he realized the Ravenclaw boy wasn’t laughing and was pouting instead. “Hey, what’s wrong?” he asked and Changkyun understood he didn’t see Alana scolding him seconds ago. “It was a joke, I thought you had no trouble realizing it already” Kihyun caressed his back softly and the blonde sighed, grabbing his boyfriend’s hand to erase his worried expression. Changkyun felt a little bad for losing because it was his fault Slytherin won the other time but it wasn’t his fault they didn’t get enough points against Gryffindor.

“I know, it’s not about what you said” Changkyun explained not to make his companion feel guilty about his depressive mood. “Alana blames me...” he said and saw Belle dragging the entire team to the dressing rooms so the couple could stay alone with Hyungwon and the Bloom sisters. Jooheon was with his own team and that was the reason they didn’t see him anywhere. “What could I do? Minhyuk saw the Snitch” he defended himself, hoping someone would tell him he was right. The others didn’t say anything but Hyungwon hugged him, lifting him from the floor and succeeding in making him chuckle.

“We can share the Quidditch Cup with you, don’t worry” the tall boy assured with a smile and Changkyun thanked him because he was always nice to him. “Tell Alana we won’t let her touch our Quidditch Cup if she treats you like that again” Hyungwon added and they all laughed.

“We won’t let her touch our Quidditch Cup” Kihyun suddenly spoke. “And we will charge you if you want to touch it” he directed his words to his boyfriend and giggled when the blonde whined like a baby. “Cheer up, Changkyunnie” their friends started teasing Kihyun when he called Changkyun like that. “Shut up, you three” he growled. “I’m sure Ravenclaw will be able to win next year... if I decide to go soft on you” the pink haired circled an arm around the Ravenclaw boy’s shoulders and started walking towards the dressing rooms. “I’ll have to think about it” he made the three Slytherins laugh but Changkyun complained, not able to forget Alana’s scolding from minutes ago. “Hey, don’t be like this, it wasn’t your fault” Kihyun whispered not to be heard by the others. “There was nothing you could do” he started slowing down to let their friends walk ahead. “Do you want to go to the secret room after lunch? I miss being there with you and we won’t catch a cold this time because the weather is warm” the pink haired flashed him a gorgeous smile and he nodded, pecking Kihyun’s cheek when no one was looking.

“Thank you, Kihyunnie” Changkyun whispered and left the three Slytherin students outside the dressing rooms so he could go change. Alana wasn’t there anymore when he entered the room and he was glad because he didn’t want to face her again. Belle was waiting for him and, once they were both ready, they went back to the castle with the others. They were hungry and the Great Hall was full of delicious food so they could eat whatever they wanted. Kihyun didn’t let go of his hand until they reached their respective tables and, while he was having lunch, he turned around to check on him several times. Changkyun’s heart raced at that and he couldn’t help to smile. His boyfriend was showing his soft side more often each day and the blonde was certain he fell in love with that pure blood boy he used to hate so much. __‘I should ask Belle about it’__  he thought, planning to talk to her that night. He needed her advice and he knew Belle was understanding and useful every time he had doubts about something. His thoughts were interrupted by Hyungwon’s finger tapping his shoulder and he managed to relax when the tall one started joking.

 

Changkyun and Kihyun went to the Courtyard with their friends after lunch. They wanted to be with them for a while so they wouldn’t tease them for disappearing the whole day. Lucy was sitting by Hyungwon’s side and played with his dark brown hair, Belle was on Jooheon’s lap and was kissing him on the lips from time to time and Hollie was by Kihyun’s side, staring at them with an unreadable expression on her face. The pink haired was scrunching his nose and Changkyun was trying hard not to laugh because his boyfriend’s face was priceless every time he saw a couple kissing in front of him. “I’m the only single one in the entire group” Hollie chuckled. “Go ahead and kiss too” she slapped Kihyun’s arm, making him glare.

“We won’t kiss in front of you! We are considerate, unlike them” the pink haired pointed at the other couples and Lucy rolled her eyes.

“It’s just because you want to hide from everyone, if you could kiss in public, you would do it, Yoo Kihyun” Lucy said and Kihyun crossed his arms over his chest, denying it completely. Changkyun believed his boyfriend because he didn’t like others watching them, not even when they held hands or hugged. “And I’m not kissing Hyungwon!” she sighed in annoyance but Kihyun ignored her. On the other hand, Hyungwon was already a laughing mess and Jooheon seemed confused about the sudden discussion. Changkyun stared at them with a playful smile on his face and he earned a harsh punch from his boyfriend.

“Why are you smiling? You should be supporting me!” Kihyun yelled while the blonde pretended to cry. The punch hurt a lot and he couldn’t stop caressing his sore arm because he felt it would fall. “You are my boyfriend” he whispered that part and Changkyun pouted.

“You didn’t have to hit me like that” he complained and Hyungwon laughed even harder, throwing himself to the floor while circling his stomach with both arms. “I don’t mind them kissing” Changkyun said and Kihyun gave up on trying to convince him otherwise.

“Stop touching your arm, I didn’t hit you that hard” the pink haired grabbed Changkyun’s wrist to then intertwine their fingers not to let him caress his sore spot any longer. The Ravenclaw boy whined because it still hurt but he didn’t want to let go of his boyfriend’s hand. “And you, Hyungwon, stop laughing” Kihyun ordered everyone around like always and it was a funny sight. A pink haired, short male bossing his friends as if he was the leader of the group; Changkyun found it amusing.

After hours of talking at the Courtyard, Changkyun and Kihyun decided to leave. They already planned to go to their secret room for a while and they wouldn’t miss the chance to be alone. Their friends greeted them with knowing smiles on their faces and told them to meet later at the Great Hall to have dinner. The two boys nodded and started walking in the third floor’s direction. They let go of their hands because everyone would see them but they stayed close to each other. They weren’t wearing their robes, it was warm outside and they didn’t need them; that was the main reason they couldn’t hold hands while walking. The castle looked gorgeous with the sunlight entering the large windows and all the students seemed to be in a good mood. Changkyun stared at them chatting happily or running around and he smiled.

His happiness didn’t last for long though, Robert appeared in front of them when they reached the Clock’s Entrance and crashed against Changkyun on purpose, making him fall backwards. Kihyun took his wand out of his pocket and pointed it at Robert, ready to attack in case the other tried to harm his boyfriend but the Gryffindor boy just laughed. “Enjoy while you can” he whispered and left. Kihyun helped Changkyun up and silently pointed at Robert with his wand, using the Jelly Legs Curse nonverbally. The boyfriends giggled when the Gryffindor student lost his balance and fell to the floor with his legs shaking violently. The two boys ran away from there before Robert used the counter-curse and quickly entered the secret room, closing the wooden door behind their backs. They heard steps outside but they knew Robert wouldn’t find them in there. Their hands were covering their mouths not to laugh loudly but they couldn’t help it after some seconds. They ended up laughing out loud and the lady on the portrait stared at them with a slight smile on her face. “It’s been a long time since I last saw you” the woman said once their laughter dissipated. “Please come in” she added and opened the door to the room, letting the boys pass. They both thanked her and walked in, stopping in the middle of the room.

“That was amazing” Changkyun chuckled and pecked his boyfriend’s lips. The blonde was beyond happy because Kihyun defended him and he did it in a brilliant way - that was funny too -. The Slytherin boy smiled at him but it soon faded as he kissed him again, longer this time. Their lips moved together and Changkyun felt hands softly brushing his upper body until they reached his chest and rested there. The blonde circled his boyfriend’s waist with both arms and squeezed him, tilting his head to the side to deepen their lip lock. Kihyun’s hands grabbed onto Changkyun’s blue sweater and he hesitantly slipped his tongue into the Ravenclaw student’s mouth. The latter was surprised at first and he parted for a split second but, before Kihyun could say something about it, he kissed him again experimentally using his tongue. It felt good kissing that way and he knew the Slytherin boy was enjoying it too because his fingers were grabbing onto his hair, pulling softly from it.

The two of them were so immersed in the kiss they forgot where they were and everything around them disappeared. They felt they were alone in the whole world and they couldn’t get enough of each other. The room was silent, except for some birds singing and they didn’t know how much time went by. They just kissed more and more, not caring about anything else. It was the first time Kihyun didn’t tell him to stop and Changkyun was lost in his soft lips. He loved the pink haired so much and he hoped he was showing enough affection to make it clear. He caressed Kihyun’s back with his fingers and felt him pulling his hair a little harder.

When they parted, they joined their foreheads together and evened their breathing, staring into each other’s eyes lovingly. “Changkyunnie” Kihyun whispered, giving him a quick peck on his nose. “I...” the pink haired paused and cleared his throat. “I know this is probably something stupid to ask but... do you want to go sit outside and kiss until we have to get back for dinner?” he asked and Changkyun chuckled, nodding with a bright smile resting on his features. Kihyun intertwined their fingers once again that day and guided him to the gorgeous garden the room had. They both sat on one of those wooden benches and started kissing again. They almost missed dinner but they didn’t regret anything because they got to spend the whole afternoon alone.

 

Kihyun couldn’t stop smiling that Sunday morning. He was laying on his bed, staring at the ceiling with his curtains closed while he thought about the moment he spent with Changkyun the day before. The pink haired wasn’t someone bold but he didn’t know what came into his mind when he used his tongue to kiss his boyfriend. He blushed at the thought and touched his lips with his fingers, not tearing his gaze away from the green ceiling that looked completely black in the gloom of the dormitory. “My God, I’m helplessly in love with him” he whispered to himself and he grabbed his pillow to cover his face with it. “I feel so weird” he talked absentmindedly and flipped over, making his pillow fall by his side. Kihyun never felt that way before and he was having trouble accepting it. Changkyun made him weak and he was scared. What if he couldn’t contain himself and kissed him in front of everyone one day? What if he accidentally told him he was in love and made him run away? Kihyun knew it was fast but they knew each other for a long time already and it was something normal to fall sooner in those cases. “I should just tell him, Changkyun isn’t an idiot, he will understand” the pink haired murmured and he started playing with his bracelet as usual. “Changkyunnie” he whispered, staring at the shining object hanging from his wrist. “I just realized I’m helplessly in love with you” he blushed madly and covered his face with his pillow once again, trying not to scream because he was surrounded by sleeping boys. “I’m sorry, father, but I won’t be able to follow your rules” his voice was muffled by the fluffy object covering his face.

After minutes of just laying there talking by himself, Kihyun decided it was enough and got up from his bed. The windows showed the bottom of the Black Lake, where creatures peacefully swam, and a soft sunlight entered the dormitory, indicating it wasn’t that early. Kihyun walked to the bathroom before getting dressed in his jeans and his beige pullover. He went to his Common Room in silence after hanging his wand from the necklace his father fabricated him long ago and found a bunch of fifth year students silently reading their books. They had their O.W.L level exams and they were busy all day long. Kihyun remembered how much he studied those days last year and he felt bad for them. The sixth year students had difficult exams too but there was nothing compared to the stress fifth years suffered. The pink haired passed by them, greeting with a simple ‘hello’ before leaving the Common Room. The Dungeons were silent and cold - as always - and Kihyun hurried to the staircase.

Once he reached the ground floor, he contemplated the idea of going to the Courtyard. He wasn’t hungry yet and he knew he had time for breakfast. He walked to the castle’s entrance and walked to the Courtyard, smiling when he spotted a familiar blond head not far away from there. Changkyun was sitting on the window’s frame, just like that time they fought and McGonagall punished them months ago. He looked relaxed there and Kihyun blushed when he remembered the kisses they shared and the words he wanted to say to him. The Slytherin boy tried not to make noise so he started tiptoeing. He waited for a few seconds when he reached the window his boyfriend was sitting on and scared him by suddenly pinching his sides. Changkyun almost fell backwards though he laughed when he recognized Kihyun’s hands. “Good morning, Kihyunnie” the deep voice was like music to his ears and he wanted to punch his own face for being so in love. Changkyun gave him a quick peck on the lips and patted the empty space next to him. The pink haired complied, joining his boyfriend in his relaxing moment without hesitation. The silence around the place was incredibly satisfying and Kihyun felt a soft hand reaching for his, intertwining their fingers as always. Changkyun’s slim thumb drew circle motions around the back of his hand and he couldn’t help to rest his head on the slightly younger male’s shoulder. “Hey, what if someone sees us?” the blonde asked, breaking the comfortable silence.

“You are right, I was too comfortable to even remember about the others” Kihyun chuckled, lifting his head up but not letting go of Changkyun’s warm hand. “Changkyun, I have something to say” he turned slightly so he was facing his boyfriend and he took a deep breath to say what he’d been thinking for days. “You know, we’ve been together for a month already” he started, trying to find the right words. Changkyun nodded at that and waited for him to go on. “And I’ve been thinking a lot about us” his heart was beating fast inside his chest and he could feel his cheeks burning. “About how much I enjoy your company and your k-kisses” he struggled a little to say the last part because it was embarrassing how soft he became around Changkyun after a few months. “And I realized I don’t just like you anymore... I... I’m in l-love with you” he finally said it and automatically covered his face with his free hand in shame. “Ah, so embarrassing” he was suffering because Changkyun was still quiet and he wanted him to talk fast so he could stop feeling uncertain.

“Kihyunnie, look at me” the blonde ordered and he didn’t like anyone ordering him around but he did as he was told and lowered his hand, revealing his flushed face. Changkyun was staring at him with a soft smile and he didn’t hesitate in leaning in, kissing his lips in a loving manner. Kihyun had no more doubts after that kiss, the Ravenclaw boy told him everything without words and he felt relieved. A huge weight went out of his chest after confessing his strong feelings and he could finally relax. “I’m in love with you too” and he gave Kihyun one last kiss before they heard steps coming from the castle’s entrance. They stayed there in silence for a while, just staring into each other’s eyes. They were both helplessly in love and Kihyun had a hard time believing everything was real.

 

 

 

 

After that Sunday morning, Kihyun and Changkyun acted even more lovingly around each other. They disappeared every time they could to kiss for a while and study in peace. It was a little hard to concentrate for the two of them but they were both good students - pretty much nerds - and they were already ahead from everyone. Their classes were turning monotonous and, even if they loved practicing spells, they both needed something new. Changkyun was surprised when Professor Kim told him he got an ‘Exceeds Expectations’ in resisting the Imperius Curse because he believed the man would give him a simple ‘Acceptable’ considering he took so long to finally achieve it. It was his first ‘Exceeds Expectations’ in all his school years, just like the one Kihyun got in Charms class. They both felt a bit down for that since they had perfect scores but that wouldn’t affect their opportunity to become Aurors.

That Friday afternoon - two weeks before their final exams -, Changkyun was walking to the Quidditch pitch with his broom in his hand because Kihyun told him they could both fly around for a while after Slytherin’s training session. Every captain decided if they wanted to keep on going with the training or not and Alana was too pissed off to keep on going. Hoseok and Robert also decided not to do it anymore since they only had one month left after the last match: Ravenclaw vs Gryffindor, and that was the reason Kihyun had the pitch all to Slytherin. Changkyun was sad because he loved flying and his boyfriend proposed the brilliant idea of staying there after the training. The blonde was so happy he didn’t see Robert approaching him until he abruptly grabbed his wrist, stopping him in the middle of the Grounds of Hogwarts. The Ravenclaw boy stared at him in confusion,wondering what he was thinking. Robert hadn’t been nice to him lately and he kept on making him and Kihyun fall or drop their books - childish things -.

“I know about you and Kihyun” Robert said and Changkyun’s heart sped up as his nervousness increased. The Gryffindor student was waiting for him to say something but he couldn’t move. He felt his blood going cold and he wanted it to be a nightmare. No one could know about them, just their closest friends. Kihyun would panic if rumors spread around Hogwarts and their relationship would surely end. Changkyun’s breathing was heavy and he tried his best not to let it show. He had to act strong; Robert would take advantage of the situation if he discovered how nervous he truly was.

“You know what about me and Kihyun?” the blonde played dumb, even if he was sure Robert saw them kissing or holding hands. They were doing it more often lately and Changkyun completely forgot the Gryffindor boy was always following them everywhere. The other students didn’t pay attention to them but Robert was all day long trying to find a rumor or initiate a fight in front of the professors.

“You cannot fool me, I saw you kissing his lips yesterday night” Robert said and Changkyun’s heart beat faster inside his ribcage. He couldn’t lie anymore, the boy saw them and there was nothing he could do. His mouth was suddenly sealed and the Gryffindor student smirked in victory. The latter’s hand wouldn’t let go of the blonde’s wrist and he could feel his arm shaking. “I got you” he added and Changkyun’s entire body stiffened. “And there’s nothing you can do about it. I’ll spread the rumor all over so Kihyun’s father finds out” Robert smiled evilly and the blonde didn’t understand. Why did Robert become a prick after he started being Kihyun’s friend? It didn’t make any sense. Jooheon never judged him and Robert was his best friend too, why did he react that way after the accident? Changkyun defended Kihyun, that was true, but he only did it because Kihyun was telling the truth and Robert was talking bullshit.

“Why?” Changkyun’s lips finally moved and many different emotions went through his body. He felt anger, fear and he also started feeling sick at the same time. He didn’t eat much at lunch but his stomach was churning violently.

“What?” Robert didn’t expect him to ask anything, he expected him to fight back and insult him. His surprised expression made his face become softer, something Changkyun didn’t notice due to his raced heart and his sick stomach.

“Why will you do that? What did I do to you?” the blonde’s voice came out weak and shaky and the hand squeezing his broom was starting to hurt. “Why do you hate us so much? You were my friend, what changed after I started liking Kihyun? I’m still Jooheon’s friend and I didn’t want to stop being your friend but you chose to fight; tell me the reason because I don’t understand” Changkyun didn’t know where that sudden courage came from though he let out everything and he felt a little better. Maybe Robert would think about it carefully and stop being so mean to them all the time. The Gryffindor boy took long minutes to answer but the blonde got disappointed when he opened his mouth to talk again.

“You already know what you did, Changkyun. I won’t repeat it a thousand times like an idiot” Robert let go of his wrist. “You are smart, think about it” he added. “I’m gonna tell everyone to get some revenge” he said and Changkyun suddenly had an idea.

“How much lower can you fall? Betraying Gryffindor’s principles with your cowardly actions” the blonde shook his head in disapproval. “I thought you were perfect for your house but now I can see I was completely mistaken” his voice came out stronger this time and, before Robert could say anything else, he started walking fast through the grass. The Gryffindor student didn’t change his mind and Changkyun was freaking out but he stayed strong until he reached the Quidditch pitch and saw his boyfriend, flying skillfully with his teammates. His heart hurt at the thought of breaking up and he suddenly felt like crying. Why couldn’t they relax like every other couple around Hogwarts? They had to hide as if they were doing something wrong and now Robert was about to tell everyone about their relationship to destroy it.

Changkyun walked to a corner and sat down, having no energy left in his body. Tears started sliding down his cheeks and he stared at his broom absentmindedly, clenching his fist around the wooden stick. Kihyun didn’t take long to finally end the training and the blonde saw feet in front of him minutes later. He couldn’t believe he was crying like a baby in front of his boyfriend and he wanted to stop but his anger and nerves wouldn’t let him. Everything was unfair. “Changkyunnie” Kihyun kneeled in front of him and panicked big time when he saw him sobbing. “Oh my God! What happened? Why are you crying?” the pink haired’s cold hands lifted his face from his chin and he also found Hyungwon and the Bloom sisters standing there. Kihyun quickly circled his arms around his shaking form and caressed his back in circular motions, shushing him gently. “It’s okay, I’m here” the pink haired’s soft voice whispered in his ear and he couldn’t help to cry harder when he thought about losing him because of a rumor.

The other three seemed confused and they all kneeled down too, getting worried. “I-I love y-you” Changkyun sobbed, hugging his boyfriend as tight as he could. The rest of the Slytherin team was gone, the five of them were the only ones left in the Quidditch pitch.

“Me too” Kihyun pecked his hair. “Hey, don’t cry” he murmured, parting to stare back into his boyfriend’s red and puffy eyes. “What’s wrong?” he asked, kissing his lips softly. The others didn’t tease them this time, they were too worried to even dare. Changkyun hardly cried but he couldn’t help it when he had negative thoughts clouding his mind completely.

“R-Robert” the blonde sniffed. “H-he said h-he saw us k-kissing and he w-will t-tell everyone” he managed to speak in between his sobs that were fading slowly. Kihyun’s hands were on his, intertwining their fingers to give him comfort.

“That prick! I’m gonna murder him!” Hyungwon yelled, getting really angry. He was about to stand up but Lucy held him down.

“He’s not worth it” the Bloom sisters said in unison and Kihyun nodded.

“Don’t be scared” the pink haired flashed him a reassuring smile. “That idiot doesn’t have any credibility after he blamed me for your accident” Kihyun chuckled and Changkyun stopped sobbing, remembering about Robert’s failed attempt to spread a rumor about them months ago. “Let him drown in his own trash and don’t give him importance” his boyfriend was right and he couldn’t help to chuckle a little. “If anyone asks, we will deny it. There’s no big deal” Kihyun dried the tears from the blonde’s cheeks and gave them a kiss each to then peck his lips. “I love you, please don’t cry” he said and Changkyun nodded, feeling suddenly stupid.

“I’m s-sorry for m-making a-all this d-drama” the Ravenclaw student apologized because he cried in front of his friends and it was embarrassing.

“It’s fine” the other four said in unison. “Now, get up and let’s fly” Kihyun smiled and helped him up, dragging him to the middle of the pitch. Their friends followed and they ended up playing some kind of fake Quidditch together, forgetting about Robert’s stupid idea of getting ‘revenge’.

 

 

Even if their friends told him not to give Robert importance, Changkyun was a little nervous. His mind started working fast after that Friday afternoon and he decided the best option would be to let Kihyun talk. The blonde was a terrible liar and he was sure he would mess everything up if someone asked him about their relationship. Keeping his mouth shut and letting his boyfriend talk would make other students believe Robert was lying again, as he did months ago. He couldn’t face rumors, he hated people talking about him. The experience after his accident was enough for a lifetime, he didn’t want students to stare at him every time they saw him.

That Thursday morning, Professor Flitwick made them practice everything and reminded them they had only one week left. All exams were that week and everyone was freaking out. Kihyun growled when he cast __Aguamenti__ for the thousand time and then sighed, resting his chin on the wooden surface of the desk. Changkyun was beside him, bored as well, but he couldn’t stop thinking. His mind was somewhere else while he moved his wand, making water appear and disappear in the glass cup he had in front of him. “Stop it, please” Kihyun’s voice interrupted his thoughts and his actions. His head turned to the side and he found his boyfriend with his arms crossed over his chest. “You look like a robot already and you are starting to freak me out” the pink haired said and Changkyun chuckled.

“I’m sorry, I was spacing out” the Ravenclaw boy caressed his boyfriend’s hand - knowing every other student was deeply concentrated - in a gentle manner and made him smile. Changkyun pulled away when he caught Robert staring at them but the weird thing was his expression showed something different than the other times. The blonde was able to read the Gryffindor boy before but it was getting tougher after he became a prick. Changkyun decided it would be good to ignore him and keep on going with the spell, even if he managed to do it several times already and practicing wasn’t fun anymore.

“Listen, everyone” Professor Flitwick raised his short arms in the air to catch their attention. “We’ll change now” he moved his wand and made vinegar appear inside their cups. “Turn vinegar into wine” he commanded and Kihyun sighed loudly in annoyance. The Slytherin student hated Charms class that year and Changkyun knew he was there only because he needed it to become an Auror. The blonde wasn’t excited about it either but he didn’t mind. He liked practicing spells, even if he considered them useless. Besides, Professor Flitwick was the Ravenclaw head and Changkyun respected him a lot.

“I’m so done with this class” Kihyun whispered and Hyungwon laughed, unable to contain himself. Lucy and Hollie didn’t look excited either, they were both moving their hands in unison and staring at their glass cups while the liquid’s color changed from golden brown to deep crimson. Belle was sitting beside Jooheon and they were talking while practicing. The problem about that was that Jooheon forgot to cast the spell every time Belle opened her mouth and Professor Flitwick was glancing at them from time to time.

“Just one more week” Changkyun answered his boyfriend but the latter was still rolling his eyes and sighing every time the liquid in his cup changed. “One more week” the blonde repeated in a cheerful tone of voice but Kihyun pushed his face, shutting him up. “How lovely” Changkyun whined. “Someone’s in a good mood” he added sarcastically and regretted it when his companion slapped his nape. “Ouch” Kihyun giggled when the blonde complained and glared at him. “I hate it when you hit me” he already told him a thousand times but the Slytherin boy loved hitting people just for fun and he sometimes did it without noticing.

“I’m sorry, I do it out of reflex” Kihyun caressed his hair for two seconds and quickly stopped not to be seen by anyone. “I want to kiss you but you know we cannot do it here” he whispered in Changkyun’s ear and the latter decided not to get mad at him. His boyfriend didn’t do it on purpose and he couldn’t get angry for a stupid thing. “When does this class end? I’m so done” he asked and Changkyun checked his wristwatch.

“In... 20 minutes” the blonde replied. They stayed in silence after that, just practicing, and 20 minutes later, Professor Flitwick dismissed them. All students went out of the classroom -  almost running away from the place - and they headed to the Study Area for a while. The exams were driving everyone insane and they didn’t stop studying. Changkyun, Kihyun, Belle, Jooheon, Hyungwon and the Bloom sisters didn’t want to do it anymore because they were pretty confident so they headed to the Courtyard instead. The place was quiet and they found a good spot to sit under a tree. The sun was strong and summer was close. Their uniforms felt like an oven and Changkyun was already sweating.

“Wow” Kihyun turned to look at him with a surprised expression when he took off his pullover. “It isn’t that hot, you are exaggerating” he said but then looked at Jooheon - the boy was about to take off his white shirt because he was drenched in sweat - and took his words back.

“Kihyun, it’s nearly summer. I think you are the one exaggerating” Lucy was about to die too. She was wearing the uniform but she also took off her pullover and loosened her tie. Hollie, Belle and Hyungwon were like Kihyun and they didn’t feel the heat that much. Thankfully, the tree’s shadow protected them from the sun and helped Jooheon keep his uniform on. It was nice to think about something other than exams for a while. They had been so busy it was good to relax. Thursdays were nice and calm; they could stop worrying for a few hours and Changkyun could spend time just staring at Kihyun’s face without having to cast spells or read books. “Hey, Robert hasn’t spoken yet” Lucy broke the silence and she was right, Robert didn’t do anything yet and there was a week left. Was he planning on doing it the last week? That wouldn’t work because their final exams were a priority; no one would be stupid enough to put a rumor before an exam.

“You are right, he’s a coward” Hyungwon kissed Lucy’s cheek. “I bet he’s planning how to do it” he said and Changkyun gulped audibly. “And speaking of the devil” Hyungwon rolled his eyes and they all turned to look at a person walking in their direction. It was Robert and he looked determined. Changkyun wondered what his new plan was and he felt Kihyun’s hand tightly closing around his. After he cried, the pink haired took care of him as if he was about to break and he didn’t like it because he felt weak and stupid. It reminded him of that day and he wished he could disappear. He never cried in front of anyone - just in front of Belle - and he did it in front of four people the other day.

Once Robert reached their group, he stopped and stared at the boyfriends. His gaze was confusing to Changkyun and, as it happened when they were in Charms class, he couldn’t read his expression. Hyungwon was already standing, pointing his wand at the newcomer with a scary glare on his face but the Gryffindor boy wasn’t moving. He could reach for his own wand though he didn’t. “I won’t do anything, I want to talk to Changkyun” Robert waited for an answer and Kihyun stood up before the blonde decided what to do.

“If you want to talk to him, I’ll go too” the Slytherin boy defended him but he seriously didn’t need it. He could talk to Robert without bursting into tears.

“I won’t say anything bad, okay?” Robert insisted and Changkyun stood up too, pecking Kihyun’s cheek to assure him everything would be fine. The others let him go and Robert cleared his throat before talking. “I won’t spread the rumor” he sighed. “And it’s not because I want to be your friend again, it’s because you were right, I was being a coward and betraying Gryffindor and I cannot do it” Robert surprised him with those words and he suddenly felt proud of himself because his idea worked perfectly. “You win” he growled. “Have fun with your boyfriend” he ended his words there and Changkyun was happy.

“Thanks” the blonde said and turned around, returning with his friends and boyfriend.

“What did he tell you? Should I use the Killing Curse on him? Kihyun, teach me” Hyungwon, hugged Changkyun when he sat down on the floor and started talking really fast.

“And what makes you think I know how to do the Killing Curse? Ask your dad” Kihyun sighed.

“That wasn’t funny” Hyungwon crossed his arms over his chest and whined.

“Hey, it’s okay, he won’t do anything” Changkyun interrupted their discussion and his friends looked confused. “I told him he was being a coward the other day and how he was betraying Gryffindor with his behavior and he regretted his decision” the blonde smiled brightly and Hyungwon chuckled.

“Coward” Kihyun rolled his eyes. “I’m glad we won’t have to explain anything to anyone” he intertwined his fingers with Changkyun’s. “Now, let’s not talk about him, I hate that prick so much” the pink haired was right, they shouldn’t talk about him anymore and they didn’t.

 

 

 

Their exams went by very quickly that week. First of all, they had their Defense Against the Dark Arts written exam - in which everyone did well, except maybe Fergus - and then the practical one. Professor Kim made them do everything, nonverbal spells, resisting the Imperius Curse, the Patronus Charm and he made them Duel but he chose the couples randomly. That wasn’t a good idea because Kihyun ended up against Fergus and won in less than two seconds. Other than that, they didn’t have problems and it was a quite fun exam.

That same Monday, Changkyun and Belle had their Ancient Runes exam and their brains were burning after they finished their Defense Against the Dark Arts last class. At lunch, they limited themselves to eat, not able to pronounce a word as they all remembered the ingredients for the different potions. Professor Slughorn made them prepare a very difficult potion for their exam and they also had a written one after. Kihyun was wondering if the old man had a bad night because he was extremely strict that afternoon. They left the Dungeons with no energy and everyone went to their respective Common Rooms except for Changkyun and Kihyun. They were regretting their decision of taking that many subjects and, after Hagrid made them take care of some strange creatures for long hours, they were finally able to relax - at least for the night -.

On Tuesday, Professor Sprout made them deal with those dangerous plants, causing Jooheon to lose his composure and almost fail his exam. It was funny to see him running around the Third Greenhouse as if zombies were going after him but it was a shame he got an ‘Acceptable’ because it would be hard to get the N.E.W.T level next year. When they were returning to the castle he was sad but, thankfully, he had Belle there to comfort him.

The whole week went like that and, the moment they entered the Transfiguration classroom, Professor Adwell was already smiling evilly. Kihyun knew it wouldn’t be easy to get an ‘Outstanding’ in Transfiguration that year but he would never give up. The exam was a nightmare as expected but the pink haired felt confident. Changkyun’s performance was incredible too and the Slytherin boy couldn’t help to feel proud. Every time it was his boyfriend’s turn he smiled brightly and admired him. Kihyun realized he’d never watched him carefully before and his heart raced, just like it did when he watched him fly on his broom.

When their exams were over and it was Saturday, all students were packing their stuff and walking around the castle to give it one last look before their summer vacation. Kihyun finished packing pretty late because he didn’t want to leave, just like his friends. The pink haired spent the whole day exploring every inch of Hogwarts with his boyfriend and then they took different paths, returning to their respective Common Rooms. Kihyun organized all his belongings as fast as he could but he was very meticulous and he couldn’t help wanting everything to be perfect inside his suitcase. Once he was done, he went out of the Slytherin Common Room and headed to the fifth floor to the Ravenclaw Tower. The castle was almost empty; everyone seemed to be preparing to leave and it felt strange. It was the part he hated the most, saying good bye to Hogwarts, and it would be even tougher that year because he had to say good bye to his boyfriend too.

The Ravenclaw Common Room’s door was locked and, even if he knew he only had to solve a riddle to get in, he stayed there waiting. Changkyun didn’t like breaking the rules and Kihyun was scared they would expel him on his last day. After long minutes of staring at the wooden door without a doorknob, he saw it moving. He was getting ready to ask for Changkyun but the person coming out was Changkyun himself, wearing his summer clothes Kihyun considered exaggerated - he had a loose tank top with some dark blue jeans, something the Slytherin boy couldn’t wear yet -. He seemed to be in a hurry until he saw the pink haired standing there. “Oh, hi! I was about to go look for you” the Ravenclaw boy smiled and went closer to him. The latter’s soft lips locked with his own, feeling incredible as always. They parted too fast for his liking but they couldn’t risk it. They managed to hide for almost two months and they didn’t want to ruin it. “What do you say if we go to the third floor and stay in our secret room for a while?” Changkyun asked and he grinned, wasting no time to drag his boyfriend to the staircase.

The room was quiet and it looked beautiful with the sunlight illuminating the flowers and the green grass. Kihyun sat on the usual bench and waited for Changkyun to go sit by his side. They stared at the scenery for a while, not feeling the need to say anything. The pink haired’s fingers slowly searched for his boyfriend’s and he started playing with them. Changkyun turned to look at him when he did that and, without any warning, he pecked his cheek. Kihyun chuckled at that and went a little closer to his boyfriend. Their faces were just inches apart and they didn’t wait to start kissing. Their tongues played for a while until they felt the need of air and parted to stare into each other’s eyes. “I don’t want to go” Changkyun whispered, giving Kihyun’s lips one last peck before hugging him tightly. “Promise me we’ll see each other often” he said and the pink haired nodded.

“Of course” the Slytherin boy smiled toothlessly, squeezing his companion’s form harder. “We can tell our parents we are really good friends” he added, making the slightly younger boy laugh. “My father will be delighted” Kihyun parted from the blonde and kissed his nose.

“Does my father know you?” Changkyun asked out of curiosity and the pink haired nodded.

“Yes, he went to my house several times and he always told me I should be your friend” Kihyun explained and the Ravenclaw boy widened his eyes.

“Really? He never told me...” Changkyun said. “Well, he’ll be happy to see you if you go to my house”

“I guess so” Kihyun pecked his boyfriend’s lips once again, not getting enough of his gorgeous lips. “I’ll be there next week so you don’t miss me that much” they both giggled.

“Yes, please” Changkyun kissed Kihyun’s lips a little longer. “I love you” the blonde whispered in his ear and squeezed his hand.

“Me too” the Slytherin boy chuckled and started touching his boyfriend’s uncovered sides with his cold digits. Changkyun laughed loudly and moved to get rid of him, succeeding only when Kihyun decided it was enough tickling. “A tank top. Seriously?” he said incredulously.

“What’s wrong with it? You are wearing a long sleeved t-shirt in summer, love” Changkyun rolled his eyes and the pink haired laughed.

“I know, I just love teasing you” Kihyun smiled, kissing his boyfriend again.

They stayed in there chatting and kissing until the sunset and they returned just in time to have their last dinner in the castle. That night, they went to sleep feeling a bit off, knowing they had to leave the next morning in the Hogwarts Express.

 

Kihyun entered the train with Changkyun after staring at the castle for long minutes. The boyfriends were holding hands - the other students didn’t seem to notice anything since they were walking around the platform and entering the train - while they searched for their friends and they found them inside a compartment. Everyone seemed to be down that morning; it was weird to leave Hogwarts and they missed the castle every year. Kihyun started thinking about all the things that happened and he couldn’t believe how fast he got to like Changkyun and, even faster, to love him. He recalled how they fought at the beginning of their sixth year and he smiled to himself, trying not to laugh because he would look stupid. Everyone was silent and Kihyun was sure they were also thinking. The pink haired turned to stare at his boyfriend and found him spacing out. His fingers were caressing the back of Kihyun’s hand in circular motions and it made him feel loved. He was wearing that tank top again and the Slytherin boy wanted to touch the side of his torso because it was extremely tempting. He didn’t want to admit it out loud, but his boyfriend looked so damn handsome dressed like that. Without saying a word, he rested his head on Changkyun’s shoulder and the latter smiled, giving his hair a quick peck.

“So adorable!” Belle said enthusiastically, making Kihyun blush. He totally forgot the others were there and he did it without thinking. Even if he felt embarrassed, he didn’t pull away. Changkyun’s shoulder was comfy and he wanted to be glued to him for a while because he knew they wouldn’t be able to do it at least for a few days. The blonde chuckled at Belle’s comment and rested his head on top of Kihyun’s head, still caressing his hand tenderly.

The silence inside the compartment was relaxing and they were all yawning. They didn’t sleep that much the night before and they were feeling it. They fell asleep after a few minutes of traveling and, when they woke up, they were about to arrive to King’s Cross station. Hyungwon didn’t move, he circled Lucy’s form with his arms and closed his eyes tightly, refusing to wake up. Kihyun quickly let go of Changkyun and sat straight, trying not to make it that obvious how he was squeezing his boyfriend’s waist from under the cloth of his tank top - which was all crooked and showing the blonde’s torso a little too much -. Kihyun blushed at the sight of Changkyun’s bare skin and used his hand to arrange his t-shirt before anyone noticed. It was too late when he did it, Hollie didn’t sleep - she never slept; Kihyun was wondering how she did to survive - and was smiling knowingly at the couple. The girl winked at the pink haired and he believed his blush was up to his ears already. He looked away and intertwined his fingers with Changkyun’s, trying to stay still because he didn’t want his friends to tease them.

Kihyun got surprised when his boyfriend kissed his lips in front of the others but he couldn’t help to kiss back, earning teasing remarks. “Weren’t you saying you wouldn’t kiss in front of us?” Lucy raised a brow and the pink haired sighed in annoyance.

“It was his fault!” Kihyun whined, pointing at Changkyun with his index finger. The latter pouted at those words, looking incredibly cute and making the Slytherin boy feel a little bad for saying that.

“I just wanted to kiss you now because we won’t be able to do it in front of our parents” the blonde whispered and Kihyun’s heart broke at the sight. He didn’t restrain himself anymore and kissed his boyfriend’s soft lips, squeezing his hand to express how much he loved him. When they parted, Changkyun smiled toothlessly and gave him one last peck before the train stopped. They could see a crowd of parents outside Hogwarts Express, waiting for their sons and daughters to come out. The seven friends stood up from their seats and grabbed their belongings, heading out of the compartment once they were ready. It was sad to say goodbye but they were happy to know they would return the next year to study more magic.

The moment they stepped outside the train, Hyungwon squeezed Changkyun and then proceeded to greet the others. He lastly kissed Lucy and told her they would see each other in a few days. Belle then saw her parents and greeted everyone too, dragging Jooheon with her so her parents met him. And they went on like that, greeting each other until only Changkyun and Kihyun were left, standing in the middle of the crowd of people just staring at each other without knowing what to do or say. “I don’t want to let go” the blonde said, tightening his hold around Kihyun’s hand.

“Me neither...” the Slytherin boy growled. “I’ll see you this week, right?” he asked and, when Changkyun nodded with a bright grin on his face, he hugged him tighter than ever. “Behave” Kihyun whispered in his boyfriend’s ear, making him laugh. “And stop wearing this kind of t-shirts... I don’t want anyone staring at you” he said and the blonde laughed even harder.

“You were the one sticking your hands under my shirt minutes ago and now you tell me not to wear them?” Changkyun made him blush and punch his shoulder in shame. “Ah!” the Ravenclaw boy whined in pain. “I love you” he added when he managed to ease the pain and pecked Kihyun’s lips as fast as he could, making sure no one was looking.

“I love you too” the Slytherin boy smiled and then heard his mother’s voice. “Oh, they are calling me... see you around, mudblood” he joked and his boyfriend rolled his eyes.

“See you around, Kihyunnie” Changkyun waved his hand at him and started walking around to find his own parents, disappearing into the crowd of people and leaving Kihyun with a huge smile on his face and the strong wish of returning to Hogwarts.


	17. Learning to skate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah... I hope this is enough haha
> 
> Thank you for all the support and the beautiful comments :)
> 
> Enjoy!! <3

After they left Hogwarts, Kihyun had been doing nothing inside his house. His parents were busy all day long and he didn’t feel like seeing his cousins. He used his time to send letters to his boyfriend and play with his bracelet while he read a book or practiced some spells with his magical target. His father’s owl was always by his side, bringing him Changkyun’s letters and taking his to the latter’s house. He never thought he would be so eager to return to Hogwarts but, there he was, recalling his school year once again while he watched some TV - his parents refused to buy a TV at first because it was a Muggle artefact but he insisted so much they finally did it -. The place was empty and dark but he didn’t have the strength to turn on the lights. Kihyun grabbed Changkyun’s last letter and reread it, smiling at the little drawing of them playing Quidditch he made. The blonde was quite talented, not as much as Hoseok, but he could surely draw properly. The two tiny boys on their brooms flew around the parchment trying to catch the Snitch and the pink haired felt the strong need of leaving his house and go visit Changkyun.

Even if they promised they would see each other those days, Kihyun’s parents weren’t around and he couldn’t ask them for permission. He knew his mother would get mad if he went to someone else’s house without telling them but his mind couldn’t stop planning a way to escape. __‘I could use my broom...’__  he thought, turning his head to the side to stare at his broomstick. His big dormitory was dark, except for the light the TV emanated, which was throwing colors at his belongings. Kihyun stayed still for a few minutes, spacing out while looking at his broom hanging from the wall. He was starting to get hungry; his stomach was growling loudly and he decided it was time to make himself some dinner. Kihyun stood up, turning his TV off and leaving the entire house in complete darkness except for the moonlight entering the large windows. He walked slowly and got a big jump-scare when his cat passed in between his legs running. He knew his house by heart and he didn’t need any light but he considered it after his cat almost gave him a heart attack. He turned on the kitchen’s lights when he reached it and he started opening the shelves to decide what to eat.

Before he started cooking - with magic of course -, his father arrived, looking extremely tired. Kihyun wondered why his mother wasn’t there yet but maybe she got stuck in the Ministry of Magic. It wasn’t that late but his mom usually appeared first and started complaining about his father. “Good night, son” the man walked into the kitchen and patted Kihyun’s head. “Where you about to cook?” he asked and the Slytherin student nodded. “Your mother told me she’ll be here in a few minutes, we could have dinner together” the man said and, after Kihyun nodded and started cooking, he left to his dormitory to change clothes.

Later that night, the three of them were eating quietly and the pink haired was nervous. He wanted to ask them but it would be something weird considering he never went to visit anyone, just the Bloom sisters, Hyungwon and his cousins. “Mom, dad” he called and the two lifted their gazes at the same time, waiting for him to talk again. “A friend invited me to his house tomorrow... can I go?” he asked, trying not to show his nerves.

“I depends” his mother replied first. “Who is it?” she asked, eating more of the food Kihyun cooked minutes ago.

“His name is Changkyun, he’s from Ravenclaw” the pink haired hoped his father quickly realized who he was talking about. “He’s Mr. Im’s son... we became friends this year and he’s a good person” he added details when his mother raised a brow at him.

“Oh, yes” his father finally spoke, helping him relax a little. “I’ve never met his kid but he told me he’s brilliant” the man seemed convinced already and Kihyun was feeling more confident each second. “He lives in a Muggle neighborhood though... I don’t know if I like the idea of you going there” he added and the pink haired unconsciously pouted. He wanted to see his boyfriend and he didn’t feel like inviting him over because they wouldn’t be able to have fun. He knew his father would ask for a free day only to control them because he was always curious what kind of people his son hanged out with.

“Dad, I’m not going to turn into a Muggle for visiting my friend” Kihyun insisted because giving up wasn’t an option, he needed to see Changkyun before he went crazy. “Please” he begged, hoping that helped. “He’s not Muggle born, he’s half-blood”

“I know he’s half-blood but I’m worried about his mother... she’s a Muggle” his father had always hated Muggles and Kihyun knew he wouldn’t change his mind about that. The Slytherin student didn’t know what else to say so he remained silent, eating from his plate and considering the idea of inviting Changkyun over instead. He wouldn’t miss the opportunity, even if things didn’t go as he planned. “Fine, you can go” his father suddenly talked, surprising him big time. Kihyun widened his eyes but then grinned happily.

“Thank you, dad” the pink haired felt the need to hug his father but the elder didn’t like human contact so he stayed still. “I’ll be back for dinner” he assured and his father nodded.

“Are you going there for lunch?” it was his mother’s turn to ask questions.

“Yes... his mother wanted to cook something for me” Kihyun replied after eating some more from his plate.

“I’ll send a Ministry car to take you there” his father told him but he didn’t want to, that would be embarrassing. Kihyun protested but the elder man wouldn’t let him speak. “If you don’t want to, stay here” he said and the pink haired sighed.

“Fine, a Ministry car it’s okay” the Slytherin boy shut up after that, eating in silence and feeling happy about the fact that he would be able to see his boyfriend after a week of nothing.

 

 

When Kihyun arrived to Changkyun’s house, his heart was beating so fast he believed it would jump out of his chest. The Ministry car was an exaggeration and he hoped Changkyun’s father wasn’t at home that late morning because he would feel embarrassed. The pink haired stepped out of the vehicle, greeting his father’s friend from the Ministry of Magic, and started walking slowly to the house’s entrance. The place wasn’t as big as his own house but Kihyun felt it incredibly warm and cozy already. He didn’t need to get in to realize it; his own house felt cold, even from the outside. He hesitantly raised his hand and, when he was about to knock on the door, it opened. Changkyun’s face appeared behind the wooden door and he hugged Kihyun tightly, pecking his cheek as a greeting. “I missed you” he whispered and the pink haired grinned.

“I missed you too” Kihyun softly said. “I felt so lonely this week” he sighed.

“Me too” Changkyun hugged him one last time and intertwined their fingers to drag him inside. The walls of the place were painted in a beige color and every piece of furniture had warm colors. Kihyun had never been into a Muggle house before. He stared at everything curiously and he couldn’t help to go closer to a wooden table where they had all kind of family pictures. Kihyun smiled, lifting a frame where Changkyun was a little kid and was holding his mother’s hand. “Oh, don’t look at that” the blonde was blushing and he tried to take the picture away from his boyfriend’s hand.

“Why not? You were so little” Kihyun pinched Changkyun’s cheeks - making him giggle cutely - after leaving the photograph on its previous spot. “I love your house” he complimented and the Ravenclaw boy chuckled.

“Oh, come on, you must have a mansion or something” Changkyun said and Kihyun laughed.

“I don’t have a mansion and I like your house better” he confessed and his boyfriend smiled.

“Thank you, then” Changkyun squeezed his hand and dragged him to the kitchen room where his mom was already cooking lunch. The woman turned around when she heard steps behind her and she grinned brightly, shaking Kihyun’s hand. The boy was surprised because she didn’t look Korean, she was purely European, but he knew Changkyun’s father and the man looked a lot like Changkyun.

“Hello! I’m Changkyun’s mom, nice to meet you” she politely said and Kihyun smiled at her.

“I’m Yoo Kihyun, Changkyun’s classmate. It’s nice meeting you too, Mrs. Im” Kihyun replied and his nerves were already gone because the woman seemed so nice. Belle was right when she said Changkyun’s mom was an angel and the pink haired discovered where Changkyun got his personality from. The Ravenclaw boy’s father seemed a bit more like his own father, a cold workaholic.

“What a nice hair color you have there” Changkyun’s mother said, touching Kihyun’s forehead locks. “I was surprised when I saw Changkyunnie’s blond hair but now I understand it’s a trend” she smiled and Kihyun chuckled when he saw his boyfriend palming his face in embarrassment. “You are from Slytherin, right?” the woman asked and Kihyun nodded in response. “It’s the first time he brings a Slytherin here” she explained while she checked on the food. “I don’t understand the rivalry thing but Changkyun used to tell me he didn’t like Slytherin at all” she talked a lot and the pink haired liked it because he was sure he wouldn’t feel awkward during his visit.

“Mooom~!” Changkyun whined like a little kid and his mother pinched his cheek, making him feel even more ashamed. His face was red like a tomato and Kihyun was having a hard time trying not to laugh.

“Ow, is my baby embarrassed?” she used a different tone voice to talk to Changkyun, extremely high pitched, and the Slytherin boy couldn’t help to giggle, covering his mouth not to do it so loudly. “I’m sorry, I just wanted to hear his opinion about this rivalry matter” she turned to the food once again and Kihyun watched her skilled hands working. The pink haired never saw anyone cooking without magic and it was incredible. He felt stupid now that he knew how easy cooking with magic was and how skilled Muggles had to be to just prepare a good meal.

“I guess I’ll disappoint you, Mrs. Im, because I think that rivalry is necessary” Kihyun told her because she was curious and she didn’t seem like a judging person. “Mostly against Gryffindor” he added and Changkyun chuckled. The latter’s mother turned around in surprise because she didn’t expect that kind of answer. “I think Slytherin has only brilliant people, unlike the other houses” he joked, hoping the woman would understand his jokes. Changkyun’s mother took a few seconds - just like her son - but then laughed.

“I already like your friend, Changkyunnie. He’s honest and funny” she said. “Oh, I’m keeping you here! Why don’t you show him the house?” she asked and Changkyun nodded, holding Kihyun’s hand once again to drag him around the place. They walked through the house, entering every room and the pink haired fell in love with it. It had a tiny garden full of flowers, three rooms - one of them was closed and Changkyun just passed by it -, one bathroom, a kitchen with a dinning room and a living room; nothing out of the ordinary, though Kihyun wanted to stay there with his boyfriend the whole summer vacation. Before they entered Changkyun’s bedroom, the closed door opened and a man in his 20s appeared. Kihyun got surprised because the blonde never mentioned he had a brother and the boy didn’t look like Changkyun at all.

“Changkyun, where’s my- oh, hello!” the boy shook Kihyun’s hand. His hair was a mess and he had his pajamas on. “I’m James, Changkyun’s brother” he introduced himself with a smile and the pink haired wondered if everyone in his boyfriend’s family was friendly like that. Maybe Kihyun judged his father wrong and the man was different from his own father. “Well, half brother, actually... I’m not a wizard like him” he growled. “I’m just an ordinary Muggle like mom” Kihyun got surprised.

“I’m Kihyun” the Slytherin boy introduced himself too.

“If you are looking for your favorite t-shirt I don’t have it, mom took it this morning to wash it” Changkyun spoke and his brother growled.

“Thanks for telling me” James sighed. “I’m so hungry” he patted his stomach. “I’ll go eat something” he said and left to the kitchen. Changkyun chuckled when his brother disappeared from the corridor and then dragged Kihyun to his dormitory. Changkyun’s bedroom wasn’t big nor small. His bed was near the wall and he had a wooden closet next to the entrance door. Kihyun looked around with a tiny grin and the blonde closed the door to then show him the inside of his closet, which was full of books and clothes carefully organized.

After exploring every inch of Changkyun’s dormitory, they sat on the bed and Kihyun took the opportunity to kiss the Ravenclaw boy’s lips. The latter kissed back, circling his arms around the pink haired’s waist while doing so. They missed each other a lot and they needed some time alone. “I love you” Changkyun whispered into his ear when they parted and hugged him tightly, caressing his back with his palm in a gentle manner.

“I love you too” Kihyun smiled brightly, giving Changkyun’s cheek a soft peck. “Your family is amazing” the Slytherin boy told his boyfriend, parting from him to talk face to face. “I didn’t know you had a brother” he added because he was truly surprised the blonde never talked about him.

“Oh, you never asked and I don’t usually talk about my family” he chuckled. “He’s just my mom’s son, he was born before my mom met my father. He’s 26 years old and he’s working as a lawyer with my mom” Changkyun caressed his hand while talking and Kihyun listened carefully. He enjoyed knowing more things about his boyfriend and he wanted to tell him everything about his life too. “He was 20 when I received my letter and he believed my father before me” they both laughed at that. “He told me he would go in my place if I didn’t want to” Kihyun laughed even harder at that.

“Well, he had a point” the pink haired pecked Changkyun’s lips. “Being a wizard is fantastic” he smiled and the Ravenclaw boy nodded. “Is that your skateboard?” Kihyun pointed at the four wheels object placed by the nightstand and he stood up to check on it. He saw skaters while watching TV but he never tried one of those things. “Can I try?” he asked, pretty sure it would be easy to use compared to a broomstick.

“Yes” Changkyun replied but, the moment he was about to step on the skateboard, his boyfriend took it away from him. “Not here, you’ll destroy my bedroom” he giggled and guided Kihyun to the garden, placing the skateboard on the floor for him to use.

“Boys! Lunch is ready” Changkyun’s mom yelled from the glass door and they both returned to the house. The blonde told him they could do it later and they both sat on the table with Changkyun’s mother and James. Changkyun’s father wasn’t there and Kihyun knew he was working. “So, Kihyun” the blonde’s mother broke the silence that filled the dining room. “Changkyun told me you come from a wizards family, is that right?” she asked and Kihyun nodded.

“Yes, we are all wizards in my family and my father is proud of that” the pink haired tried not to mention how his father actually hated Muggles and almost didn’t let him go visit his boyfriend because of that. “Not only we are all wizards, we are all from Slytherin” he chuckled at Changkyun’s mother’s expression. She seemed so surprised and it was funny how she stared at Kihyun with her jaw dropping.

“Is that even possible?” the woman asked her son, making him laugh.

“Yes, mom” Changkyun shook his head in disbelief.

“But your father wasn’t in Ravenclaw”

“It’s not always like that but it happens” Changkyun explained. “My father was in Slytherin like you” the blonde turned to look at Kihyun to say that and the latter nodded. He already knew it because his father didn’t like other houses at all and he didn’t have any friends who weren’t from Slytherin.

“Where do you think I would be if I were a wizard?” James asked his little brother and Changkyun thought for a while.

“Maybe Hufflepuff” the blonde said and Kihyun couldn’t help to laugh.

“Why is he laughing? Is Hufflepuff for useless people?” James seemed confused and the pink haired realized he unconsciously showed what he thought about Hufflepuff. Changkyun didn’t have prejudice because his father never told him what he should think about the different houses.

“He thinks so” Changkyun pointed at Kihyun and the latter quickly shook his head.

“I don’t!” he tried to lie but his boyfriend rolled his eyes at him.

“Sure, you don’t” Changkyun said and the Slytherin boy restrained himself from punching his companion. “Hufflepuff isn’t for useless people, you would be the only useless one in Hufflepuff” Changkyun joked and James kicked his shin under the table. “Ah!” the blonde whined. “Mom~! James kicked me!” Kihyun stared at his boyfriend and muffled his laughter with his palm. He’d seen him acting like a baby several times but that was a completely different baby behavior.

“James kicked you because you called him useless” his mother defended James and Changkyun pouted. “And don’t pout, your friend will think badly of you” his mom didn’t know Kihyun already saw him pouting a lot of times during the school year and he actually fell deeper for him because of that. The woman changed the subject not to let them fight anymore and they spent the whole lunch talking comfortably. Kihyun felt as if he was at home because everyone was so nice; even James treated him well and the pink haired expected something different from him since he was 26 and they were 17.

After cleaning the kitchen up - Changkyun didn’t let him help much -, they went to look for the skateboard and Changkyun dragged him to the street, saying the floor was better for that. Kihyun was pretty confident and he quickly placed a foot on top of the wooden board to then slide through the pavement. He automatically fell backwards and his boyfriend caught him just in time before he touched the floor. It wasn’t as easy as he thought but he didn’t want to give up. He took the skateboard once again and tried skating, failing completely like the first time. “Let me teach you” Changkyun moved him aside and expertly skated through the street, making a tiny tick Kihyun saw on TV. “Try just sliding, I’ll hold your hand” he said and Kihyun did it, even if he felt embarrassed. The blonde helped him go in a straight line and he grinned brightly because he was finally able to skate a little - he was squeezing Changkyun’s hand so hard he believed it would leave marks but he did it anyway -. “That’s it! I’ll let go” the Ravenclaw boy surprised him and he didn’t let go of his hand. “Fine, I won’t” Changkyun giggled.

“I’m sorry” Kihyun chuckled. “I just think you should help me a little longer” he said and Changkyun kept on helping him, changing to hold his waist after a few more tries. Kihyun hoped the blonde’s mother wasn’t watching them because it would had been embarrassing for him. “Wait, I think I’ve got it!” Kihyun yelled when he felt more confident and Changkyun let go of him. He skated for two seconds and then fell. The blonde rushed to catch him and he fell on top of him, making him hit his back with the pavement. They both started laughing out loud, unable to stand up. Kihyun couldn’t believe such a simple thing was that hard, he was completely mistaken when he thought flying on a broom was harder. The laughed for a while, unable to stop, and then they stood up. Kihyun stared into his boyfriend’s eyes and felt the strong need of pecking his lips. He did it quickly so no one saw them and Changkyun smiled.

“Do you want to go back inside? We could just watch a movie or something else” the blonde proposed and Kihyun nodded, giving up on skating. He had to admit it wasn’t for him, he was more comfortable on his broom and that wouldn’t change. Changkyun picked the skateboard up and they walked side by side back to the house. Their hands brushed and they were controlling themselves not to intertwine their fingers. Thankfully, they could hide in Changkyun’s bedroom hours later to kiss properly for a while. They forgot Changkyun’s family was there too but they didn’t think they suspected anything.

When the Ministry car returned to look for him, he whined. He had such a great time he didn’t want to leave. Changkyun’s house felt warm and homey, not like his. “I promise I’ll go visit in a few days” the blonde whispered in his ear when they hugged to say goodbye. Kihyun already greeted Changkyun’s mother and James but he couldn’t let go of his boyfriend. “I love you” Changkyun pecked his cheek and Kihyun finally parted.

“Me too, Changkyunnie” the pink haired played with his bracelet, not knowing what to do. He had to kiss him goodbye but the man in the car would see them. He wasn’t far from them and it was scary to think he would tell his father if he saw them. “Ah... I don’t want to go” he whined and Changkyun chuckled.

“I don’t want you to leave” the Ravenclaw boy held both of his hands and started shaking them. “Should we kiss behind the door frame?” Changkyun asked and Kihyun nodded, pushing his boyfriend backwards until the door frame hid them from the driver. They kissed as fast as they could, giving each other a couple of sweet pecks after parting. When they were done, Kihyun slowly walked to the car and waved his hand at his boyfriend. Once he fastened his seatbelt, the man took off and he unconsciously pouted, not wishing to leave yet.

 

Changkyun’s mother was staring at the two boys from the kitchen’s window and she suspected they were more than friends. Changkyun never invited one person to the house, he always invited all his friends together and she thought he treated Kihyun differently. He even dragged him to his bedroom after playing outside for a while and he never did that with his friends. “James” the woman called her son’s name. “Do you think Kihyun is just Changkyun’s friend?” she asked and the boy widened his eyes.

“Do you think he’s his boyfriend? I don’t think so, mom. Changkyunnie never told us anything about being gay and I don’t think he is” James answered but then Changkyun’s mom looked at the two boys again and they were hugging tightly. Changkyun then pecked Kihyun’s cheek and the woman smiled.

“He kissed Kihyun’s cheek, James!” the woman clapped excitedly. “I like Kihyun, he’s a good son in law” she added and James rolled his eyes.

“Why don’t you just ask Changkyunnie about it and stop acting like a crazy woman?” the male made her glare but she stopped the moment Changkyun got back to the kitchen, holding a smile on his face.

“Is Kihyun your boyfriend?” the woman startled Changkyun with her question and he stayed silent for a few seconds, thinking of what to say. “I knew it!” Changkyun’s mother hugged him and the Ravenclaw boy laughed. “Why didn’t you tell us?” she felt a little bad because she wanted to tell Kihyun she would support them and she didn’t get to say it.

“Because Kihyun’s father is against it and I don’t want dad to find out either” Changkyun begged and the woman nodded, telling him not to worry.

“If you had told us earlier, you could have kissed him properly before he left!”

“Ah... I’m regretting it now” the blonde sighed. “But I didn’t want to betray his trust” he confessed. “Just...” he paused. “Please don’t tell dad”

“Don’t tell me what?” the boy’s father entered the kitchen, looking extremely tired.

“Nothing!” the three of them said and started talking about something else to distract the man.


	18. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!! I came back here with a little surprise for you!  
> This is rated M so I suggest you run away if you don't like rated things haha  
> I thought I could give you a tiny present for all the comments and all the support!  
> Here it goes, I hope you like it <3  
> Tell me your opinions :)

After their summer vacation, they had to return to Hogwarts. Changkyun and Kihyun spent a lot of days together with or without their friends and Changkyun’s mother loved Kihyun. She was always baking him cookies or making his favorite food - she asked her son about it -. It was good at least someone in their families knew about their relationship, it made them feel comfortable. Kihyun’s father liked Changkyun - thankfully - but he was still a cold person and Kihyun’s mom too. The elders got extremely surprised when they went to King’s Cross station and Changkyun’s mother hugged their son. Changkyun got nervous but he hoped they wouldn’t think badly of his mom - even if Kihyun’s dad already did because she was a Muggle -. James sent some things to his brother: candy and an awful t-shirt he designed which said ‘James Jr.’ as a joke. He also gave Kihyun one that said ‘My brother in law’ with a tiny heart right next to the words. Thankfully, their parents were distracted and he managed to put it back into the bag quickly. Hyungwon couldn’t stop laughing at that and Lucy had to punch him several times for him to finally shut up. After that embarrassing moment, they were finally able to get into the Hogwarts Express and find an empty compartment for themselves. Lucy, Hollie and Belle had to leave for a while to discuss things with the other Prefects and the boys stayed alone but they returned soon, saying they didn’t feel like staying the whole trip with the Prefects.

When they arrived to Hogwarts they realized it was their last year before they could start their different specializations and they were all nervous and anxious. They couldn’t believe they wouldn’t return there next year and they felt melancholic when the Sorting Ceremony took place in the Great Hall. They weren’t the only ones thinking about that; all the seventh year students had a depressive aura around them and, when the feast started, they ate slowly as if they were in a funeral. Their mood changed a few days later; their subjects became extremely difficult and they had to study a lot to achieve everything. Their professors were giving them double amount of homework and they barely had time to spare. Changkyun received a letter a few weeks earlier from Professor Flitwick, saying he was the new Quidditch captain since Alana already finished school and he was freaking out. Kihyun gave him advice and he quickly got used to it. Their teammates were happy with him as a captain because he was soft to them and he explained everything carefully, unlike Alana. Kihyun kept his usual team except for Ethan, their Keeper who already left Hogwarts like Alana, and he included Lucy instead because the girl promised not to miss any training session.

It was a good thing to start another year. Changkyun and Kihyun were all day long together and, even if they couldn’t kiss much, they were getting used to the other’s presence and their relationship was turning more and more domestic each day. Belle and Jooheon looked like a married couple already and Lucy and Hyungwon were on fire. Hollie was the only single one of the group, just like in their sixth year but she didn’t seem to mind. The seven of them hanged out together and shared their homework - except for Kihyun because he didn’t want anyone stealing his answers or his long essays - to be sure they were doing a good job. Their professors were being strict and even Slughorn gave them a hard time in their classes. The old man was including more and more students to his favorites and inviting all of them to his office to have dinner or maybe some tea. Kihyun complained a lot every time they went there; they didn’t have enough space to sit comfortably and they had to talk with strangers and he felt uncomfortable.

The weeks went on like that and they had so much to do they didn’t realize it was almost Christmas until Professor Slughorn handed them the invitation to his annual party. “I hope I don’t forget anyone” the old man said to Changkyun, Kihyun and Hyungwon that afternoon, scratching his nape as he thought about the students on his list. “You see, my boys, I have so many brilliant students and I’m afraid my memory is starting to fail” Slughorn sighed and greeted them with a smile before leaving. Their Potions professor handed Belle’s invitation to Changkyun because the girls had to run to a Prefects’ meeting and Jooheon took it from his hands.

“Another party!” the Gryffindor student enthusiastically yelled and started dancing in the middle of the corridor. Kihyun looked away in embarrassment and held his boyfriend’s hand, trying to drag him to the staircase before someone saw them near Jooheon. Hyungwon, on the other hand, found it hilarious. He almost fell to the ground because his laughter was so loud he couldn’t keep his balance. Changkyun managed to stop Kihyun before he went upstairs and they both waited for their two friends. They walked in silence for a few minutes though the blonde started thinking they had to take someone and he had a brilliant idea. He could take Kihyun pretending they went together as friends and they could spend the whole night together.

“Kihyunnie” Changkyun called his boyfriend’s name, earning his full attention. “Why don’t we go together to Professor Slughorn’s Christmas party? We can pretend we are just two friends who didn’t have luck finding a date” he proposed and Kihyun’s eyes lightened up. Changkyun was extremely sure the pink haired would say yes until his smile faded.

“What about Hollie?” he asked and the Ravenclaw boy didn’t know what to say. He didn’t have a backup plan and he knew they had to take Hollie somehow because, if they didn’t, she would be the only one staying in the Slytherin Common Room. “What if I take Hollie but I leave her alone to be with you?” Kihyun stopped on his tracks when they reached the Library and sat down on an empty table, being followed by the other boys.

“That’s a good idea” Changkyun pecked Kihyun’s cheek when he made sure no one was looking at them. “I don’t really feel like asking someone else to come with me” the blonde confessed while his hands carefully opened his Transfiguration book. The girls arrived minutes later and they all studied in silence, forgetting about Slughorn’s party for a while.

 

One week went by and the night Professor Slughorn celebrated his party arrived. Hollie decided she didn’t want to go. She preferred staying in the Slytherin Common Room studying rather than going to a party she wasn’t invited to and ruin Changkyun’s and Kihyun’s moment. She actually scolded Kihyun for rejecting Changkyun’s offer and ordered him to have fun and forget about other students. Kihyun hesitated for a while, feeling guilty - yes, he was having a lot of feelings lately and he didn’t like it - but then realized Hollie never lied and went to change to the boys dormitory. He grabbed his dressing robe and stared at it for a few seconds. He always wore the same one and he suddenly felt bored of it. He wore it anyway because he didn’t have another robe though he started thinking what he could do to look good for Changkyun. For the first time in his life, he wanted someone to compliment him about his efforts to look good and he sat on his bed after getting fully dressed, contemplating on what to do. “Why are you taking so long?” Hyungwon’s voice startled him and he almost fell to the floor.

“I was just” Kihyun shut up, feeling his cheeks burning from the blush that spread all around his face. “I wanted to look good for Changkyunnie” he whispered, hiding his face behind his palms. “But I don’t know what to do” he confessed and Hyungwon stayed silent, staring at him with a frown on his face. __‘At least he isn’t laughing’__  Kihyun thought, lowering his hands slowly until he placed them on his lap.

“You can wear Hollie’s dress since she’s not gonna wear it” Hyungwon joked and made him feel even more ashamed. He was acting like a girl; there was nothing to do. He couldn’t wear make up or something like that, it would be extremely weird.

“You are right, this is stupid” Kihyun stood up, sighing in disappointment. “Let’s go” he walked to the door but Hyungwon stopped him midway.

“What if” the tall one said, pausing before finally telling him his idea. “What if you change your hair color to match his? You’ve been a pink haired fairy for long and it would be nice if you had couple hair” Hyungwon’s idea didn’t sound so bad but, what if someone realized they were together? “I mean, you liked it when Changkyunnie changed his hair and it is obvious he did it for you” his friend had a point so Kihyun decided to just nod and forget about what others might think. He raised his wand, mumbled the spell and changed his locks to the same blond color Changkyun had. “It looks fantastic!” Hyungwon made a thumbs up and he chuckled.

“I don’t trust your opinion but I’m ready to risk myself” Kihyun headed to the door of the boys dormitory and, the moment he reached the Common Room, Lucy and Hollie dropped their jaws.

“Wow, Kihyunnie!” the two of them yelled in unison, Hollie wearing her pajamas and Lucy wearing a stunning blue dress. “I love this color on you” Lucy touched his forehead locks that were parted in the middle and then cupped his face with both hands, making Kihyun get annoyed and push her away.

“You already know how much I hate skin-ship” he growled, combing his hair a little because he felt it all messy. “Let’s go before I lose my patience” the now blonde walked in the entrance door’s direction, being followed by the couple. Hyungwon and Lucy were holding hands and he felt so lonely without Changkyun. The latter would be waiting in the sixth floor corridor with Jooheon and Belle but Kihyun was impatient to see him. What if his boyfriend didn’t like his hair? It was odd the Ravenclaw boy didn’t like anything about him but he was still insecure because he never did something only to look good for someone.

The Hogwarts castle was almost empty when they walked through the corridors, illuminated only by candles. The ornamentation and Christmas trees were shining inside the Great Hall and they saw students having dinner there. Kihyun realized how hungry he was the moment they walked past the huge room and he smelled the delicious food. He didn’t eat anything in the afternoon and maybe that was the reason. His stomach started growling when they stepped on the Grand Staircase ready to go upstairs and Hyungwon chuckled. Kihyun shut him up, threatening him with burning his Transfiguration parchment and they stayed in silence during the whole trip to Professor Slughorn’s office. The walls near their destiny were decorated with silver and green ornaments and the door of the office had a golden shine all around the frame. Kihyun was about to go in with his friends when someone grabbed his hand, stopping him midway.

The Slytherin boy turned around to find Changkyun smiling though his expression changed to a surprised one when his eyes landed on Kihyun’s blond hair. The Ravenclaw student absentmindedly touched the locks, making his boyfriend giggle. “You look so gorgeous” Changkyun whispered, still admiring the Slytherin boy’s new color. The latter blushed and thanked him shyly, trying not to show his friends how happy he truly felt. “I just realized we have couple hair now” Changkyun stopped touching Kihyun’s strands and his eyes landed on his dressing robe instead. “And we also have couple robes” he chuckled, going backwards so the Slytherin boy could see his black robe. Kihyun laughed soundlessly, not believing Changkyun bought a new robe that matched perfectly with his own.

“Why did you buy a new one this year?” Kihyun asked.

“You don’t like it? I was getting bored of the blue one so I decided it would be good to buy a black one... I have a blue tie” he raised his tie a little to show his boyfriend.

“Of course I like it” Kihyun rolled his eyes and looked around before pecking Changkyun’s lips softly. Belle smiled while watching them, holding Jooheon’s hand tightly, and the Slytherin boy realized they were in the middle of the corridor with their friends staring at them. He automatically dragged Changkyun into Professor Slughorn’s office, not waiting for the others to follow. The old man was wearing one of his colorful robes and was drinking his oak-matured mead while talking to some of his fifth year favorite students. Slughorn saw them entering the room and quickly waved his hand, approaching them. The man liked them a lot because they were the two best students of the class and he had their Quidditch pictures on his shelves together with some of Hyungwon and Belle too.

“Hello, my boys! You look like twins tonight” Professor Slughorn laughed and patted their backs. The boys laughed too, greeting their professor with a handshake. __‘Yeah, twins’__  Kihyun thought, trying not to laugh once again because he found the old man’s comment hilarious. “Do you want a drink?” he snapped his fingers and called one of the house-elves who were carrying the trays full of glasses. The two students chose butter beer and started drinking while talking to their Potions professor. Their friends joined them seconds later and they spent great part of the night like that. Professor Slughorn didn’t stop blabbering about how much he’d miss them when they left Hogwarts and how good he believed they would be in their professions. Hyungwon went to visit Madam Pomfrey every time he could and the woman was already growing impatient because the Slytherin boy asked a lot of questions. “I’ll convince Poppy to have you as her apprentice, don’t worry, Hyungwon” the old man said and Hyungwon smiled, feeling already excited about being Madam Pomfrey’s apprentice. Kihyun wasn’t sure Slughorn would achieve something like that because Poppy Pomfrey wasn’t an easy person but it was good he had hope.

After hours of just eating, drinking butter beer and chatting with their professor and other students, Jooheon and Belle sneakily walked to a corner to kiss behind a tree. Kihyun stared at them and rolled his eyes in annoyance, thinking he wanted to do that with Changkyun too. Hyungwon and Lucy were already feeling extremely sleepy while standing up in the middle of the huge office and they decided to excuse themselves, saying they had a lot of homework to do. Professor Slughorn kept on asking questions and making them talk more and more - mostly Changkyun because he was interested in the Muggle life his family lived -. Kihyun listened carefully to his boyfriend, learning some new details about Muggles, but at the same time he was busy contemplating the idea of going behind the red curtains to sneak some kisses. Those were long curtains and he could tell there was a tiny space behind them. __‘I could pretend I want something from the table’__  he thought, staring at the wooden table covered in a dark green cloth, which was right next to the window. Kihyun turned back to the group of students surrounding them and found them dropping their jaws in surprise. Changkyun seemed a bit uncomfortable while explaining something to them and Professor Slughorn was frowning in confusion. There were some things about Muggles they’d never understand but there his boyfriend was, doing his best to be clear. Kihyun decided enough was enough and, the moment he was about to interrupt them to say he needed to eat something, a group of students called Slughorn. The Slytherin boy wasted no time and dragged his startled boyfriend behind the red curtain where no one could see them.

“What are you doing?” Changkyun chuckled and Kihyun pecked his lips.

“I want to kiss you” the Slytherin student didn’t want to think too much about it because he knew he would regret it if he considered the consequences of someone finding them. “We couldn’t even stare at each other today because your Art friends were all day long with us” he growled. He didn’t like Minhyuk and Bryony that much - because the girl liked Changkyun before and Kihyun was sure she still did -, and Hoseok was a good person but nothing interesting.

“Isn’t it dangerous, Kihyunnie? I don’t want to risk it” Changkyun circled his waist and started caressing his back with his delicate palms, giving him a soft kiss on his forehead to then stare intensely into his eyes.

“Just a couple of kisses” Kihyun played with Changkyun’s blond locks, moving his fingers softly around them to tempt his boyfriend. “Please” he begged and the Ravenclaw student gave up, finally kissing his lips. It was something they’d craved the entire day and Kihyun couldn’t believe how much he missed Changkyun’s soft lips against his own, moving gently as if he was being careful not to break him. They had been bolder than that at some opportunities but they needed to control themselves at that instant considering they were surrounded by students and some professors. Kihyun kissed Changkyun as if they hadn’t seen each other for long, grabbing his hair with strength to bring him even closer. The Ravenclaw boy squeezed his waist and moved his lips a little bolder each second. They were both trying to restrain themselves as much as they could but it was hard once they started using their tongues, leaving no space in between their bodies.

Kihyun parted from the kiss to breathe at some point, quickly joining their lips again not to lose time. Changkyun tilted his head to the side to deepen their kiss and the both of them forgot they were in the middle of Professor Slughorn’s Christmas party, snogging behind a red curtain and risking their relationship. They parted only when they heard someone accidentally dropping a glass of butter beer and everyone gasping in surprise. The silence in the office made them realize they were being careless. Changkyun widened his eyes in fear and Kihyun felt his soul leaving his body until the students started talking again, filling the room with noise. “We should stop... I’m sorry, I was being stupid and it was a bad idea” the Slytherin boy apologized because he was the one who insisted.

“It’s not stupid... I missed you so much today” Changkyun whispered, circling his waist with his slim arms once again and brushing their noses together. “But, yeah, we should stop” he gave him a couple of pecks and hugged him tighter than ever before leaving their space behind the curtain in silence and making sure no one saw them. They then grabbed something to eat - after Kihyun combed Changkyun’s hair because it was messy - and pretended nothing happened. Belle and Jooheon were still in the corner, not paying attention to the rest of the world, and the Slytherin boy felt a little jealous. No one told them anything, they let them be, and he wanted that too. __‘An invisibility cloak would be useful’__  he thought. “Hey, what if we leave? I’m feeling a little sleepy already and we have to practice some spells tomorrow” Changkyun proposed and Kihyun nodded with a smile.

They both greeted Professor Slughorn and walked to the entrance door, not bothering to tell Jooheon and Belle they were leaving. The sixth floor corridor was dark already and the Slytherin boy started wondering what time it was. He intertwined his fingers with his boyfriend’s and walked close to him. “ _ _Lumos__ ” he muttered when the darkness was too much for their eyes, holding his wand with his empty hand to illuminate their path.

When they reached the fifth floor, Kihyun sighed, knowing he had to say goodbye already. “I’ll go with you” Changkyun spoke in his deep and manly voice before he could greet him. Kihyun thought it was stupid considering the Ravenclaw student would have to get back to the fifth floor after leaving him down the Dungeons but he couldn’t complain when his boyfriend was obviously trying to spend more time with him.

The castle was a bit creepy at night but he didn’t mind; his boyfriend was with him and it helped him feel protected. He glanced at Changkyun a few times and found him staring back at him with love and fondness. Kihyun didn’t know what he did to deserve someone like him, he was the one who initiated their fight after all. It was good Professor McGonagall forced them to work together because they had the opportunity of getting to know each other better. It felt like an eternity but they’d been together for almost eight months only. “Hey, Changkyunnie” Kihyun whispered, knowing they would reach the Dungeons soon. His boyfriend hummed in response and looked at him while waiting for his next words. “I’ve been thinking and” he paused, hoping his companion would say yes to the crazy idea he thought about while being alone inside his Common Room. “I want to spend Christmas here this year” he finally said it and his boyfriend widened his eyes in surprised. “Bad idea? I’m so-

“I was thinking the same thing!” Changkyun yelled and the people in the different portraits shushed him. “Sorry” he whispered to then turn back to Kihyun. “I felt sad because this is our last year in Hogwarts and I thought it would be good to spend Christmas here” he said, making the Slytherin boy happy.

“I’ll send a letter to my parents tomorrow, I hope they understand” Kihyun smiled, feeling suddenly anxious about their Christmas plans.

“Me too” Changkyun grinned and pecked his lips. They were completely alone in the middle of the Dungeons with only a wand illuminating their path and they weren’t afraid of kissing there. “I’m so happy now” Changkyun said when they reached their destiny and lifted him from the floor to lock their lips once again. “I love you!” they both giggled at that and Kihyun gave him one last peck.

“I love you too” he smiled brightly after the Ravenclaw boy placed him carefully on the floor and he headed to his Common Room. “Good night, I had fun kissing behind the curtains” they both laughed at the comment and Changkyun waved his hand at him, leaving only after he disappeared into the Slytherin Common Room.

 

 

After making their Christmas plan, they both wrote letters to their parents. Kihyun’s ones weren’t convinced so easily but, after two more letters, they agreed it would be good for their son to stay at Hogwarts in his last year of school. He begged, saying he would miss the castle so much and they finally gave up. Their friends were surprised when they told them; Christmas was their family time but they decided not to say anything and let them be. They were all busy those two weeks before the holidays so no one really talked unless it was about homework. Their classes were tough and they didn’t have much time to spare. Changkyun and Kihyun tried their best to spend time together but they weren’t able to kiss considering they were surrounded by students 24/7. They could hold hands from time to time but it wasn’t enough; they needed each other.

Thankfully, after suffering for a few days, their friends greeted them and left Hogwarts with almost all the students. Changkyun and Kihyun sat together for dinner the night everyone left and realized there were only 5 Hufflepuffs, 2 Gryffindors and only two more Slytherin students aside from Kihyun. Changkyun was alone in Ravenclaw and that brought an idea to Kihyun’s brain. He knew his boyfriend would never agree but he was willing to try and convince him. When they finished eating, they headed back to their respective Common Rooms, stopping over the Entrance Hall to say goodbye. “Hey, Changkyunnie” Kihyun whispered, staring at the other students passing by them to make sure they weren’t looking nor listening to their conversation. “I have a crazy idea” the Slytherin boy played with his sleeves in nervousness. Changkyun nodded and waited for him to go on, wishing to know more. “Tomorrow is Christmas Eve and I wanted to spend some time alone with you after the feast...” he paused, breathing deeply to take some courage. His boyfriend was already smiling and shaking his head in disbelief and Kihyun didn’t know if he should continue because it was in vain.

“No” Changkyun replied without even giving him a chance to explain himself. The Slytherin boy loved his boyfriend but he hated that nerdy part of him which never broke the rules. It would be just one night of him entering the Ravenclaw Common Room and he wouldn’t mention it to anyone. They were completely alone in the entire castle, the professors wouldn’t even care. Kihyun tried his best puppy eyes and his cutest pout to see if Changkyun surrendered. The latter softened his gaze a little and chuckled. “No” he repeated though Kihyun deepened his pout and Changkyun laughed. “Why can’t we go somewhere else? We have our secret room” he proposed but Kihyun didn’t want to be there in winter with all the snow.

“It’s freezing outside!” the Slytherin boy whined, crossing his arms over his chest.

“What about the Room of Requirement?” Changkyun said but Kihyun didn’t want to go to the seventh floor. What if McGonagall saw them going in or out of it? The Headmistress office was there and it was close to the room, very close.

“Professor McGonagall will surely see us and we will earn the worst punishment of our lives” Kihyun rolled his eyes. “Fine, you don’t want to be with me, I get it” victimizing himself was the last option he could think of and Changkyun fell for it, making him smile inside.

“Fine, just this time” the Ravenclaw boy sighed, looking around before pecking his lips softly. “After dinner you can come with me to my Common Room” he whispered and gave him one last kiss before going upstairs. Kihyun couldn’t stop grinning as he walked to the Dungeons and he fell asleep quickly that night, feeling happy about his achievement.

 

It was Christmas Eve that morning and Changkyun opened his eyes feeling uneasy about the plan he made with his boyfriend. Kihyun didn’t mind taking him to his Common Room but he felt like he was committing the worst crime of all times. He tried not to think about it and just do it. They were always careful and it wouldn’t be different that day. Changkyun opened the blue curtains and got up from his bed, finding the empty dormitory a little odd. He was used to Theodore’s loud snores and Drake - another one of his Ravenclaw classmates - talking in his sleep, but it was completely silent that morning. Belle wasn’t there to jump onto his mattress and ask him a bunch of questions and he felt a little lonely though he also loved being alone. He enjoyed those moments a lot and he smiled while heading to the bathroom. He didn’t need to hurry up, he could stay in there reading and then meet his boyfriend to have breakfast together. It was his dream come true, having almost the whole castle to themselves. They both liked to explore Hogwarts and the corridors looked exciting with no students around.

Changkyun didn’t change clothes; he stayed in his pajamas and grabbed a book from one of the thousand bookshelves. The blonde didn’t have a hard time choosing the sofa he would sit on, he picked the one by the window and stared at the incredible scenery full of snow. __‘Kihyun was right... it would be nice having him here to cuddle’__  he thought and considered going outside to look for him. __‘No, just be patient’__  he scolded himself and started reading in silence.

Later that morning, he had breakfast with his boyfriend and they decided it would be fun to go play with snow. They ran to the third floor - getting scolded by Professor Adwell for running through the corridors - and they went to the Wooden Bridge, stopping by one of the windows to watch the frozen lake. “Whoa, fascinating” Kihyun said, holding his hand tighter. They both stared at it in silence for a few minutes and then locked their gazes, admiring each other with love and adoration. Changkyun was sure there was no one as gorgeous as Kihyun and he wished to kiss his pink lips so badly. His pretty nose was turning red from the cold and Changkyun couldn’t help to give it a peck, covering it with one of his boyfriend’s green scarves right after. It was important Kihyun didn’t get sick and he was so sensitive to cold he was scared he would catch something. “Wait a second” the Slytherin boy lowered the scarf and circled Changkyun’s neck with both arms, giving him a sweet kiss on the lips. “Let’s go” he added once they parted and grabbed his hand to drag him through the Grounds of Hogwarts. The Sundial Garden looked beautiful all covered in snow and Kihyun picked some of it up to make a ball and then throw it to a distracted Changkyun right on his face. They played for a long while, laughing out loud and throwing each other snowballs. They even used their wands to lift the snow up and make it fly in their target’s direction and they had fun blocking it with spells.

When they felt tired, they both laid on the white and cold snow, holding hands with their thick gloves covering them. It was nice spending time with each other without needing to worry about their homework nor their friends. They could finally savor freedom and they felt a heavy weight leaving their chests. “We finally don’t have to hide” Changkyun commented and Kihyun squeezed his hand. He was already shivering but they were too comfortable and they couldn’t move from their spots.

“Y-yes” Kihyun stuttered due to his strong shivering. “T-this is s-so g-good” he spoke some more and the Ravenclaw student chuckled, turning his body to the side to face Kihyun. He found him staring back at him and shivering violently so he couldn’t resist hugging him. Changkyun rested an arm around his boyfriend’s form and also circled him with one of his legs, pecking his cheek repeatedly and making him laugh. “S-stop it!” Kihyun giggled, hugging the Ravenclaw student back and kissing his lips not to let him go on. “I l-love y-you, p-plonker” he whispered after they parted and they stayed still, just circling each other’s bodies with their arms while laying on the cold snow.

“I love you too” Changkyun smiled toothlessly. “Let’s go back inside before you freeze to death” he chuckled and stood up, helping Kihyun and cleaning the snow from his winter cloak. “Let’s drink some hot tea before you catch a cold” the Ravenclaw boy said and didn’t waste time to head back to the castle, caressing Kihyun’s sides to help him warm up a little. The cup of tea made the Slytherin student’s body temperature increase and they stayed the rest of the day inside playing different board games Changkyun’s mother sent them as Christmas gifts - she always liked giving her son something before the Christmas day -.

 

When the Christmas feast ended that night, Changkyun and Kihyun made sure the professors and other students didn’t see them going upstairs. The Ravenclaw Tower was completely empty and not even a sound could be heard. The stairs felt endless while they walked together and they were nervous someone would find them. Kihyun knew Changkyun was dying inside, even if he didn’t show it that much. The Ravenclaw student hated breaking rules and it would be awful if he regretted it in the last second.

The Ravenclaw Common Room’s door was closed and, once they reached it, Changkyun solved the riddle. They slowly got in, feeling extremely paranoid as they looked from one side to the other, making sure there was really no one inside. Kihyun was amazed by the place and he started wondering why Slytherin had to choose the one down the Dungeons instead of a luxurious tower like Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. The room was a huge circle full of bookshelves, comfy sofas and armchairs, wooden tables and a warm fireplace. Everything looked classy and the white, golden and blue covering the entire place made it feel cozy. Rowena Ravenclaw’s statue was by the dormitories’ entrance and Kihyun stared at it for a few seconds, having the strange feeling it was watching them.

Changkyun startled him when he hugged him from behind, resting his chin on his shoulder. The Slytherin boy smiled at that and turned his head to kiss his boyfriend’s temple lovingly. Changkyun looked incredibly handsome in his Muggle-like outfit and the pullover he was wearing was soft and comfy. It felt as if his boyfriend was a nice pillow that he wanted to desperately hug and caress. Kihyun got surprised every time he had those thoughts; he was never like that before but he loved how he could relax around his companion.

After a while of just hugging there, Changkyun dragged him to one of the blue sofas and started kissing his lips, cupping his face with one of his palms and resting the other on his thigh. Kihyun responded, bringing his boyfriend even closer by his neck and tilting his head to the side to deepen the kiss. They weren’t scared anymore; they were completely alone inside the Ravenclaw Common Room and they could kiss as much as they wanted to before it was finally Christmas and they had to open their gifts. Kihyun used his tongue when he felt the need for more and, without realizing what he was doing, he laid back on the couch, bringing his boyfriend with him. Changkyun placed both hands on the leather surface and climbed on top of him, kissing him passionately like they did a few times before. Kihyun was enjoying it so much his brain didn’t process what he was doing when he opened his legs, circling them around Changkyun’s slim waist to bring him closer.

Their lips and tongues moved together and they could feel their breath growing heavier each minute. The dim lights illuminating the room threw colors at them and helped them relax more. There was no space in between their bodies and Changkyun’s palm slowly reached for his torso. The Ravenclaw student caressed his abdomen from under his sweater and he shivered at the touch, deepening the kiss even more - if that was possible -. Kihyun never felt so good before and he absentmindedly reached for Changkyun’s soft skin too, lifting his pullover and brushing his fingers all over his back. Before they could go on, their semi-hard members touched and they both moaned into each other’s mouth. They stopped right away, parting to stare at each other with a deep shade of red covering their faces. “I’m sorry!” they said in unison and they sat up at the same time. They were embarrassed though they couldn’t help to laugh after the awkwardness in the air dissipated a little.

The moment their laughter came to an end, Changkyun gave him a soft peck on the lips. His moves were cute and innocent and Kihyun was able to relax. “Oh!” the Ravenclaw boy suddenly yelled. “It’s Christmas already!” he added and Kihyun realized it was already 12pm. “Merry Christmas, Kihyunnie” Changkyun’s deep voice echoed around the empty room and he handed the Slytherin boy his present.

“Merry Christmas, Changkyunnie” Kihyun whispered, pecking his boyfriend’s lips and giving him his present too. They both opened it together and the Slytherin student chuckled when he found a green beanie, matching perfectly with his gloves and scarves.

“I made it for you, I hope it fits” Changkyun kissed his nose.

“I love it” Kihyun smiled, trying it on and showing it to his boyfriend. “How do I look?” he asked and Changkyun jumped on him, showering his face with kisses.

“You look gorgeous” the slightly younger student complimented and sat up to finally look at his own present. It was a necklace to hang his wand like the one Kihyun had and he loved it. He even hung his wand from it at that moment and thanked the Slytherin boy a thousand times. They spent the night chatting and opening Changkyun’s different gifts - since Kihyun’s ones were in the Slytherin Common Room waiting for him -, finally feeling relaxed. It was something they would never forget and they both were craving for more nights like that. Kihyun left when it was almost 3 in the morning and he couldn’t stop thinking about how much he enjoyed kissing Changkyun that way, even if his cheeks burned every time his mind recalled the moment.

Once he reached his destiny, he went to bed and kept on thinking about that while staring at the green beanie his boyfriend gave him for Christmas.

 

 

The two of them spent their last free days together and Kihyun got attached to the Ravenclaw Common Room. They went there every afternoon there to play some games and kiss for a while - the thing that happened at Christmas didn’t happen again because Changkyun was being careful and Kihyun wanted to tell him he could go further but he didn’t want to sound like a desperate boyfriend so he just shut up - and the rest of their time, they stayed in the Library or the Study Area. The castle was quiet all day long and Professor Slughorn invited them to have some tea the day before the others got back to Hogwarts. It was weird to have them back; Kihyun liked being alone with his boyfriend a little too much and he was sad their holiday ended. Their friends showed them the things they received and thanked each other for the presents. Changkyun’s mother sent a letter not only to her son but to Kihyun too, saying she couldn’t wait to invite him over for lunch or dinner. The Slytherin boy bought something for Changkyun’s family and vice versa though Kihyun’s parents didn’t send Changkyun any letter in gratitude. The Ravenclaw student said he didn’t mind but Kihyun felt so annoyed he almost broke his Herbology book in half when he found out. He forgot about it days later but he would never forgive his parents for it.

Their school year went on without them noticing. Their subjects went back on being a pain in the ass but they could free their minds with Quidditch - except for Jooheon because Robert wouldn’t stop scolding him for things he didn’t do -. Kihyun was proud of Changkyun when they had their annual match: Slytherin vs Ravenclaw. The boy had different ways of training his team and Kihyun got surprised when Ravenclaw won. He didn’t miss the opportunity of teasing his boyfriend about it, saying it was only beginners luck and it was Lucy’s fault for not catching all of Belle’s shots - Lucy glared at him, of course -. Changkyun shook his head at his words and hugged him tightly to then drag him through the Grounds to go celebrate with their friends.

The months passed and they went through a lot of things. Their abilities were getting better each day and they were feeling nervous because they would soon finish their studies. That year, Ravenclaw won the Quidditch Cup and Kihyun was happy about it. If Alana had been there, he would surely made her apologize with his boyfriend. Slytherin won the House Cup, being 10 points above Ravenclaw and they all passed their N.E.W.T exams. Kihyun, Changkyun and Belle got ‘Outstanding’ in everything while Hyungwon, Lucy and Hollie got a few ‘Exceeds Expectations’. Jooheon, on the other hand, just got one N.E.W.T but he could find a job using his O.W.L exams. Their scores arrived later to their houses and Jooheon spent the whole day crying on Belle’s shoulder.

On their last day, they all walked around Hogwarts, making sure they remembered the castle well. The Hogwarts Express left the next morning and they all agreed they would go to Changkyun’s house on Saturday. Kihyun wanted to talk to him, to tell him he could stop being careful around him because they were a couple and it was perfectly normal to desire each other that way too. He tried to do it a few times on the train but, every time he dragged Changkyun outside the compartment to have some privacy, someone interrupted them. The Ravenclaw boy had a lot of friends; Kihyun realized it that Sunday after almost 10 students stopped to ask him about his future life. The Slytherin boy got impatient and gave up, deciding it would be better to do it on Saturday.

They arrived at King’s Cross only minutes after Kihyun tried to talk to Changkyun for the last time and they greeted each other as if they were friends. Kihyun’s parents finally thanked Changkyun for the Christmas gift he sent them. Hyungwon gave them one too and they apparently didn’t thank him before either but the Slytherin boy was angry at them anyway. Writing a letter took less than five minutes and his father had a fantastic owl he could easily use. Kihyun didn’t talk to them during their trip home though he decided to drop it a few hours later.

The following days, he didn’t know what to do. He grabbed one of his spell books and started practicing difficult curses against his target. It was very helpful having that in his bedroom, he got to learn so much thanks to it. If he wished to be an Auror he had to make a great effort and be perfect in everything, it was the only way. Kihyun always put a lot of pressure on himself but he achieved every objective he had in mind, it wouldn’t be different with that one.

After days of practicing in his house, it was finally Saturday and he could get to see Changkyun. The latter’s mother insisted he should stay the night because they lived far from each other and it would be a shame he had to leave earlier than their other friends. Kihyun’s father was reluctant as always but he just let his son be because he had to work anyway. That late morning, Kihyun went out of his house with a bright grin, not caring about the Ministry car that would take him to his boyfriend’s place. When he spotted the cozy house from afar, he felt impatient. He wanted to be there, surrounded by people who truly cared about him. Kihyun wondered if Changkyun knew how lucky he was to have James and his mother - the blonde’s father wasn’t that bad but the Slytherin boy didn’t see him often -. He had such a good family, even if James was annoying sometimes, and they made Kihyun wish to stay and live there.

The moment the car stopped, he greeted the driver and thanked him for the ride. Kihyun didn’t bother to ring the doorbell because he knew Changkyun would see him through the window. And, as he predicted, the blonde appeared behind the wooden door; a gorgeous smile decorated his lips. He was wearing one of those tank tops again and the Slytherin boy blushed when he thought how he liked him dressed like that. Kihyun quickly pecked his lips but got startled when a taller figure appeared behind Changkyun. It was Hyungwon, and he had that stupid grin on his face. “Hi, Kihyunnie” the Ravenclaw boy said, moving aside to let him in. “Come in, please” he added and Hyungwon waved his hand at him awkwardly to then follow Changkyun to the dining room. The kitchen was empty this time, the blonde’s mother wasn’t there and Kihyun remembered she had to work on Saturdays sometimes. There were Belle and Jooheon sitting on the dining table, drinking some tea and coffee.

“Hi!” Belle enthusiastically greeted him.

“Hi” Kihyun walked to the table and took a seat next to Hyungwon. “Please don’t spend the whole day kissing or I’ll lock you outside” the Slytherin boy said and Jooheon widened his eyes. Belle just laughed but her boyfriend didn’t seem to like the comment. “Oh, and that goes to you too, Hyungwon” he patted the tall male’s shoulder. He knew Lucy and Hollie would arrive any moment and he didn’t want to see two couples kissing around him.

“And to you too” Jooheon narrowed his eyes - if that was even possible - and Hyungwon started laughing. “You are with your boyfriend here too” Jooheon smiled arrogantly when Kihyun didn’t say anything in return.

“Don’t fight” Changkyun rolled his eyes while placing a cup of tea in front of his boyfriend. The house owner pecked his cheek after doing so and sat by his free side.

“Is your mother working?” Kihyun asked, drinking a little from his cup of tea.

“Yes, she is working together with James” Changkyun replied, caressing the back of his boyfriend’s hand on top of the table. “And my father is working too” he explained and Kihyun nodded. He already knew that because their fathers worked together. “So I will order something for lunch” he chuckled.

“We can cook together so you don’t have to spend money” Kihyun proposed and all the others complained. “Okay, bad idea” he sighed.

“I’m terrible at cooking, that’s the only problem... and I don’t know any spells for it” Changkyun spoke, feeling useless.

“I know! I can teach you if you want” Kihyun got suddenly excited because he liked teaching spells and more if it was his boyfriend.

“Okay, we can cook together” Changkyun smiled.

“Oh! Hollie likes cooking too, she will surely help us” Kihyun suddenly remembered the girl loved cooking and, at that same moment, the doorbell rang and the two sisters could be seen through the window. Changkyun went to the door and let them in, dragging them to the dining room too. Hyungwon stood up and kissed Lucy, who then sat on his lap. Hollie greeted everyone and occupied the empty chair in between Belle and Changkyun. The house owner gave them something to drink too and they all started chatting. It felt good to be together again because they became close during their school years. It was weird not to spend the whole day with the group and, even if Kihyun wouldn’t admit it out loud - as always -, he missed their annoying presence.

The day flew away pretty quickly after they started cooking together with Hollie. They had lunch and then started playing some video games Changkyun had. Kihyun, Hyungwon and the Bloom sisters never tried them before but Hollie and Kihyun won every round. They had a natural talent for that. They then watched some movies and left before dinner. Belle stayed a little longer helping the boyfriends clean up their mess but, only 30 minutes later, she left too. Kihyun was nervous but he seriously wanted to talk to Changkyun. The latter was in the bathroom and told the Slytherin boy to wait over the living room. Kihyun was impatient, moving his foot while he stared at the corridor, hoping his boyfriend would come back quickly. When Changkyun finally appeared, he was hiding something behind his back. “What are you hiding? I’m not stupid, Im Changkyun” he said and the house owner pouted.

“I wanted to surprise you” he whined like a kid and then sat on the couch by Kihyun’s side. “You know, we’ve been together for a year and two months” Changkyun spoke and the Slytherin boy realized they didn’t do anything for their anniversary because they were so busy they didn’t notice. Maybe the slightly younger boy had something for him and he didn’t even remember. He started feeling guilty about it but he got surprised when his boyfriend showed him what was behind his back. “Happy anniversary! I hope is enough... I hadn’t been with anyone before so I don’t really know how this works” Changkyun smiled and gave him a flower attached to a tiny box. “I made the gift myself... ah... I hope you like it” Kihyun chuckled at those words and grinned widely while opening the box which had a green ribbon on. Kihyun gasped when he saw a very tiny exact replica of his broom. He took it carefully to admire it and it started flying around the room. The Slytherin boy watched it for a few seconds and then jumped at his boyfriend - making him fall with his back on the sofa’s cushion -, showering him with kisses.

“I love it!” Kihyun smiled, hugging a laughing Changkyun as tight as he could. “Now I feel like a bad boyfriend” he pouted, sitting up and dragging the Ravenclaw boy with him. They kissed lovingly and stared at each other the moment they parted.

“You are not a bad boyfriend” Changkyun said and called the tiny broom with his wand to make it come back. “You can call it with your wand in case it goes too far, I used a simple spell on it” he explained and Kihyun smiled toothlessly, taking the broom from Changkyun’s hand to place it inside the box.

“Thank you, Changkyunnie” the Slytherin boy stared at the box with the gorgeous flower for a few seconds and then breathed deeply, taking courage to talk to his boyfriend. He got to the conclusion that if he thought a lot about it, he wouldn’t be able to do it. He just had to be fast and let everything out.

“Hey, Kihyunnie” Changkyun spoke before he could open his mouth and he felt frustrated. “Do you want to go to my bedroom? I want to kiss you and I’m a little scared to do it here since the entrance door is there” he pointed at the door and Kihyun thought he was right. He just nodded and followed his boyfriend around the house until they reached the dormitory. Changkyun closed the door and went to sit on his bed, patting the space next to him. Kihyun softly placed the present on the nightstand and complied, sitting by his boyfriend’s side without saying anything. There was a mattress on the floor with some comfy sheets on and he knew they were for him to stay the night. Surely Changkyun’s mom told him to prepare everything before his friends arrived. Changkyun pecked his nose cutely and then suddenly laid down on the mattress, bringing Kihyun with him. They both landed with their heads on the pillow and the Ravenclaw boy tickled him a little. Kihyun giggled but then he realized Changkyun’s t-shirt was showing a bit too much of his soft skin and blushed. The younger didn’t notice his stare; he arranged his t-shirt as if nothing happened and brought him closer to kiss his lips. Kihyun let himself go, momentarily forgetting about the talk. Their tongues started playing and Changkyun’s arms circled his boyfriend’s waist. The latter grabbed onto the blond strands of hair and their bodies got even closer. There was barely any space in between the two of them and Kihyun’s left palm lowered, brushing Changkyun’s torso until he reached the hole in his t-shirt and couldn’t help to caress his side. The boy shivered and Kihyun quickly pulled away, blushing in shame. Changkyun chuckled when he saw his red face and softly caressed his cheek, giving him a peck.

“Why do you have to wear these t-shirts?” the Slytherin boy whispered and his companion blinked in confusion.

“You don’t like them?” Changkyun asked but Kihyun shook his head. “I thought you did”

“It’s not that” the slightly older boy lowered his gaze. “I like them too much and I feel like touching your skin... it’s soft” Kihyun covered his face in shame but his boyfriend lowered his hands, giving him a kiss on the lips.

“You can do it, I just shivered because your hand is cold” Changkyun chuckled and he couldn’t believe his ears. Did his boyfriend tell him to just touch his skin? Kihyun was petrified because he didn’t expect to hear something like that. He stayed still for seconds until his boyfriend waved his hand in front of his face. “Kihyunnie?” his voice sounded hesitant, unlike seconds ago. “I’m sorry, that was stupid, don’t freak out. Let’s go downstairs and order something for dinner” he tried to get up but Kihyun grabbed his wrist and kept him down. It was his opportunity and he couldn’t miss it.

“No! I mean, it’s not stupid” the Slytherin boy squeezed Changkyun’s wrist without realizing it. “I wanted to tell you not to stop at Christmas but I was scared you would freak out and I panicked” he was finally saying everything and his boyfriend didn’t seem startled nor scared, he was just listening carefully while making circular motions with his thumb on the back of his hand. “And then we were surrounded by people and I couldn’t enter your Common Room anymore so it was hard to tell you” Kihyun felt his cheeks burning more than ever; it was hard confessing he wanted to do more than just kissing. “But I don’t want you to act careful around me... I’m your boyfriend and we’ve been together for more than a year already and” Kihyun paused not knowing exactly how to continue his speech. ‘I want you’ wasn’t something easy to say and he wasn’t a person of words. He was extremely shy when it came to feelings and Changkyun’s unreadable expression was making it harder.

“I thought you felt uncomfortable about it” the Ravenclaw boy whispered, not tearing his eyes away from Kihyun’s. His gaze showed pure love and it made the elder male feel safe. “I saw fear in your eyes that night and I didn’t want you to run away” Changkyun was calm and Kihyun felt relieved. He thought they both would be blushing and avoiding eye contact but it wasn’t like that. The Ravenclaw boy was someone understanding and he always listened to everything before talking himself. “We can... do whatever you want, Kihyunnie” he finally flashed him a reassuring, toothless smile. “I must warn you I’m very, extremely inexperienced in this matter and I may suck at this” they both giggled at those words and Kihyun sighed as he felt a heavy weight going out of his chest.

“Yeah, me too” the Slytherin boy blushed a little. “But we can learn, can’t we?” he asked and Changkyun nodded with a bright smile resting on his lips. “I learned how to kiss with you” he added and his boyfriend laughed.

“Me too”

“You were such a bad kisser at first” Kihyun joked to change the mood a little and Changkyun chuckled.

“You didn’t seem to notice, though. If I’m not mistaken, you were the one asking for kisses all the time” Changkyun went back at him and he glared. Kihyun only softened his gaze when his companion laughed and they stared into each other’s eyes in silence for a few minutes after that. They agreed not to stop but it was hard to start kissing again after that talk. The house was completely empty aside from them and Kihyun was sure they would be alone for long hours considering Changkyun’s mom and James had a business dinner - a very important dinner - and Changkyun’s father was surely working. The elder man always had late night shifts and it wouldn’t be different that Saturday night, Kihyun was sure of it.

Changkyun was the first to make a move. He grabbed the Slytherin boy’s hand and placed it on his side’s skin; the skin Kihyun was so eager to touch. The latter took the opportunity to caress it gently and didn’t waste time, kissing his boyfriend on the lips. Everything felt different now that they agreed to do more than just snogging and Kihyun’s heart was racing. Changkyun wasn’t in a better state, the elder boy placed his free palm on his chest and felt his accelerated heart pretty easily. The Ravenclaw boy moved his lips softly at first but he became bolder each minute, helping Kihyun gain some courage. The latter opened his mouth slightly to use his tongue and Changkyun tilted his head to the side, deepening their lip lock even more. The weather was already hot because it was summer but Kihyun could feel the dormitory increasing its temperature a few degrees.

Kihyun enjoyed the way Changkyun let himself go; he couldn’t believe he took so long to tell him. The younger kissed him as he never did before, with passion and boldness, looking for a different reaction from Kihyun’s part. The Slytherin boy circled his boyfriend’s waist with his left leg and their hardening members brushed together, forcing a muffled growl out of their locked mouths. Kihyun’s face was flushed but he didn’t want to show the tiny bit of nervousness he felt. Their breathing became heavier and heavier each second and Kihyun yelped when Changkyun’s hands landed on his butt. He parted in surprise and his boyfriend lost some of his confidence. “Was it too much? I’m-” Kihyun shut him up with his lips because he didn’t want to talk. They agreed they wouldn’t restrain themselves so he was glad Changkyun kept on going without saying anything else.

Their kisses became more heated after a while and their now fully hard lengths brushed together. Kihyun’s mind was focusing only in his boyfriend, in how his tongue played with his own, in how those hands carefully went up and down through his back and how his soft skin felt under his digits. The Slytherin boy’s nervousness flew outside the window and he squeezed his boyfriend’s body with his leg, creating even more friction and making the two of them moan into each other’s mouths. They didn’t stop this time, they just kept on going and Changkyun climbed on top of him. Kihyun opened his legs as he did at Christmas Eve and he gasped when his boyfriend started moving his hips. They both became a moaning mess after that and Kihyun dug his nails into Changkyun’s sides’ skin when he lowered his face to kiss his neck. The Slytherin boy threw his head backwards, arching his back to leave more space for his companion. He couldn’t describe how good everything felt and it was just the beginning. Changkyun experimentally licked on his sensitive neck while still moving his hips and Kihyun couldn’t believe the sound that left his lips. He enjoyed his boyfriends ministrations, silently asking for more with his body. Changkyun understood every little sign Kihyun sent and a shiver ran down his spine when warm fingers slid under his t-shirt and reached for his nipple, softly pinching the skin. No one ever touched him that way; it was strange but in a good way and he wanted Changkyun to go on.

After a while of moaning and letting his boyfriend touch him, Kihyun felt the strong urge of taking their clothes off. They didn’t know how much time they would have before Changkyun’s family returned and he wished not to have any barriers in between their heated bodies. The Slytherin boy grabbed onto the hem of the younger’s tank top and forced him to part from his neck to take it off. Changkyun widened his eyes in surprise though did the same to Kihyun throwing both t-shirts to the mattress placed next to the bed. “Can I...” Kihyun hesitantly reached for his boyfriend’s jeans button. “T-take this off too?” he asked, blushing madly at the thought of seeing the other naked.

“Y-yeah, of course” Changkyun replied, kneeling on the bed to let Kihyun unbutton his pants and lower them. The Ravenclaw boy stood up and shook them away, softly taking the elder’s trousers off too. They were almost naked in front of each other and Kihyun could only stare at his boyfriend. The latter wasn’t in a different state, they were both lost in the other, admiring every single part of their bodies. Changkyun flashed him a loving smile before climbing on the bed once again, returning to their previous position but, this time, only wearing their tight boxer shorts. “I love you” Changkyun whispered in his ear with that deep voice, making Kihyun shiver at the proximity and the hot breath. “Do you still want to do this?” he asked, suddenly worried.

“Yes, I want to” Kihyun gave his companion a tender kiss on the lips. “I... I want y-you” he shyly mumbled, blushing madly while playing with the waistband of his boyfriend’s underwear. Without looking up - too shy to do it -, he lowered his hand and touched Changkyun’s clothed erection. The latter let out a low moan and his breathing became heavy once more. Kihyun’s chin was lifted by a hand and, before he could react, the Ravenclaw boy kissed him hungrily. His member was extremely hard and he could feel his own length twitching as he rubbed his palm on the boxer’s cloth. Kihyun discovered something that night: he loved making Changkyun feel good. Knowing the younger was moaning and gasping because of him was something he couldn’t explain and he didn’t know what came into him when he lowered his underwear to stroke his bare member. Changkyun’s loud mewl told Kihyun he was doing something right. Their kiss went from hungry to a little sloppy and the Slytherin boy moved his hand faster when Changkyun started moving his hips to meet his strokes.

Kihyun parted from the kiss to moan when his boyfriend’s hand lowered his boxers and did the same thing to him. The elder couldn’t control his body anymore. His back arched in pleasure and his hand moved even faster, stroking Changkyun’s erection with more strength. Their moans could be heard around the empty dormitory and maybe around the empty house. Their hips thrust forward in search for more friction and Kihyun bit on Changkyun’s bottom lip when he felt his orgasm creeping up to him. “W-wait” he quickly pulled his boyfriend’s hand away. “I... I w-want more” he demanded and the younger boy blinked twice before moving to take off their remaining articles of clothing, which were hanging loosely from their legs. They were both finally naked and Kihyun watched his boyfriend reaching for his bedside drawer to take out a tiny bottle of lube. He knew what would come next and, even if he was ready to experience it, his nerves came back to his body and his heart skipped a bit when the Ravenclaw boy poured some of the liquid on his fingers. Kihyun blushed the moment Changkyun parted his legs, softly circling his entrance with one of those cold digits.

When he finally pushed one in, Kihyun held his breath. The sensation was extremely uncomfortable but he was sure it would be better if he endured it for a few minutes. “Is... is this okay?” the younger boy’s tone of voice showed how much he cared about him and, as Kihyun nodded, he hesitantly moved his finger in and out of the hole. His walls were slowly loosening around the digit and he could sense Changkyun’s burning stare on him. The Slytherin boy pressed his lips together in a thin line when his boyfriend added a second one, trying to endure the slight stinging he felt. His eyes were tightly closed and Changkyun moved forward to kiss his lips and distract him from the pain. The Ravenclaw boy’s stroked his member and he forgot about the stinging sensation. His hole was slowly stretching and he was getting used to the intrusion. It wasn’t until Changkyun curled his fingers inside of him that he felt his bundle of nerves sending a wave of electricity all over his sensitive body. Changkyun parted from the kiss to watch his pleasured face and repeated his actions, sending shivers down his spine. His body jerked deliciously every time his boyfriend hit his sweet spot and he moaned even louder when a mouth landed on his nipple, sucking on it. Kihyun wanted to do something too, he wanted Changkyun to feel that much pleasure too, but he couldn’t react when he was being stimulated in three places at once.

After a while, he couldn’t take it anymore. Changkyun added a third finger and he had to grab onto his wrist to make him stop. Kihyun didn’t think he could hold his orgasm any longer and he was glad Changkyun understood his message and pulled out. The Slytherin boy felt his hole clenching around hot air and he impatiently stroked Changkyun’s erection after pouring lube on his hands. The pleasure sounds his boyfriend let out were like music to his ears and he wanted to hear them more. When he thought it was enough, he stopped his ministrations and spread his legs wide for his boyfriend to be comfortable in between them. Changkyun was staring at him as if he couldn’t believe he existed and he took a few seconds to finally react and guide his coated member to Kihyun’s awaiting entrance. “I-I’ll get i-in, okay?” he said and gulped audibly before pushing inside. The moment the head popped in, the Slytherin boy felt a sharp pain on his lower back. His nails dug deeply into Changkyun’s shoulders and he bit his bottom lip in an attempt to calm down.

Seeing he was in pain, his loving boyfriend showered his face with kisses, trying to distract him while he pushed deeper and deeper each second. Kihyun threw his head backwards when Changkyun managed to be buried deep inside of him. He tried to even his breathing but it was impossible when he was feeling so much. The Ravenclaw boy caressed his hair as a concerned expression decorated his features and he only started moving when he made sure Kihyun’s walls relaxed around his pulsating member. His thrusts were slow at first and he used his hand to stroke his boyfriend’s untouched erection, which rested in between their heated bodies.

As Changkyun thrust faster and deeper inside of him, he moaned louder. Kihyun never felt something similar; his body moved in search for more and his hips met his boyfriend’s. His legs circled Changkyun’s waist and his heels dug onto his butt as he brought him closer. The younger boy’s thrusts were fast and harsh as minutes passed. Kihyun didn’t know how much he would be able to endure it without releasing. The noise of skin against skin, their loud moans muffled by their mouths, the way their hips moved in unison and the way their bodies were joined together making them become one was all too much for Kihyun.

When he tried to stop his orgasm from coming out, he couldn’t. His member was already releasing in between their sweaty bodies and his hole was clenching hard around Changkyun’s erection. The latter kept on thrusting, stroking Kihyun’s length until he couldn’t take it anymore and came inside of him. They parted from the kiss when it was all too much. The Slytherin boy’s eyes rolled back in pleasure and his heart beat faster than ever while he experienced the most powerful orgasm of his life. Their moans became screams of pleasure and, if anyone had entered the house at that moment, they would had been heard by them.

When they came down from their high, they laid spent on the bed, softly caressing each other’s skin. Kihyun shivered the moment Changkyun pulled out of his entrance but giggled when started giving him sweet pecks all over his face. “I love you” the elder boy whispered, kissing his boyfriend’s lips gently.

“I love you too, Kihyunnie” Changkyun said, hugging him tightly right after. The dormitory was hot and it wasn’t the best moment to receive a hug but Kihyun couldn’t deny it, he felt protected when his boyfriend’s arms circled his form. “Are you okay?” the Ravenclaw boy parted and stared into his eyes.

“Yes, I feel so relaxed now” Kihyun admitted and Changkyun chuckled.

“Me too” the younger whispered, brushing their noses together. “I don’t think I want to have dinner anymore”

“Me neither” Kihyun buried his face in his companion’s chest, giving him a couple of pecks. “I want to sleep” he demanded and Changkyun nodded with a smile.

“I’ll clean us up” the Ravenclaw boy took his wand from his nightstand and used a spell to clean their bodies. He then used the Summoning Charm to bring their clothes to the bed and they lazily got dressed.

Minutes later, they were cuddling on Changkyun’s bed, already having trouble to keep their eyes open. The silence filling the entire house told them no one arrived yet and they had to stay awake so Kihyun could move to the mattress before Changkyun’s mother - or father - opened the door and found them cuddling. They fought to stay awake for a while but they couldn’t do it for long. They fell asleep before anyone arrived and Changkyun’s mother found them like that.

“James” she whispered. “Look” the woman said and James walked closer to his brother’s dormitory. “Adorable” she smiled and James chuckled.

“Do you think they...?” James asked and his mom widened her eyes.

“We should ask him tomorrow” the woman’s voice showed determination and James rolled his eyes when she turned Changkyun’s light off and closed the door of his dormitory, leaving to her own bedroom to change clothes.

 

 

The next morning, Kihyun opened his eyes and the first thing he saw was Changkyun’s sleeping face. The Slytherin boy never thought he would be able to experience something like that and a smile formed on his lips as he caressed Changkyun’s blond locks. He looked so gorgeous like that, sleeping peacefully, and Kihyun couldn’t get enough of him. He started giving him soft pecks not to wake him up but Changkyun frowned and opened his eyes, locking his gaze with Kihyun’s. “Hi” the Ravenclaw boy whispered in a raspy voice.

“Hi” Kihyun whispered back and they both stared at each other for long hours until they could get up and have some breakfast with Changkyun’s family.

Kihyun left before lunch and Changkyun gave him a short kiss on the lips behind the door frame not to be seen by his father. “I had fun” the younger whispered and Kihyun giggled.

“Yeah, me too” the Slytherin boy winked. “I’ll see you next week? You can come to my house instead” he said and Changkyun nodded happily, waving his hand at his boyfriend while he walked to the Ministry car.

When Changkyun closed the door, he returned to the kitchen. His mom was doing the dishes while James read the newspaper. His father went to the bathroom and the other two were too silent for Changkyun’s liking. He started helping his mother with the dishes, not expecting anything until she spoke. “Changkyunnie” she called, passing him another plate to dry. “How was your night with Kihyunnie? Did you boys have fun?” she asked and Changkyun turned to look at her because she was using that tone of voice he recognized as dangerous.

“Yes, why?” the boy frowned.

“I was just wondering if you did something... um... private?” she said and Changkyun almost dropped a plate.

“Mom~! Are you serious?” he left the cloth he was drying the dishes with on the counter and started walking away. “I won’t answer something like that” he growled in annoyance.

“He did” James talked, not tearing his gaze away from the newspaper.

“Okay, fine, I admit it!” Changkyun blushed. “Why do you have to be like this?” he covered his face with his hands. “Don’t tell dad” he said and his father appeared behind the door frame.

“Don’t tell me what?” he asked and the three of them smiled.

“Nothing”


	19. Short gift for my readers :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!! I know you thought this wouldn't have any more chapters, but I was inspired and I wrote a very short piece ^^  
> I hope you like it!!  
> (I cannot let go of this story haha Idk if you've noticed xD)
> 
> <3

**A very old memory of you**

 

Kihyun was certain he would never miss anything more than Hogwarts. The stone walls, the huge Great Hall full of delicious food, the smell of the books’ pages as he hanged out at the library with his friends, all the interesting subjects, and the excitement of passing an exam. But, most importantly, he met Changkyun there. If it weren’t for that incredible School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, he wouldn’t have met the love of his life; the only person alive who could make his heart race and his cheeks burn. The only person Kihyun truly loved and gave himself to. It was odd how memories from the time they hated each other were slowly disappearing, and how hard he found it to recall them. He sometimes thought how dumb he had been, throwing curses at a random student for fun and gaining hate from him. Kihyun was young and stupid, though he had a completely different point of view at that moment. Even if he believed he was stupid before, he wouldn’t change anything. It all happened thanks to their fights and they were together because Kihyun made Changkyun notice him with that dimwitted curse.

After two years of being together, they were both finishing their first year of Auror training. Kihyun admitted it was tough, but they were managing to get things right with practice and effort. Changkyun and him studied all day long, and it was something he really enjoyed. They could be tired and stressed out, but the other’s presence helped them relax a lot. They locked themselves either in Changkyun’s or Kihyun’s bedroom for hours after their classes, and they practiced everything they could. They also sneaked kisses out of each other and, sometimes - when their parents were gone -, they took it to the next level. Kihyun was still shy to face Changkyun’s mother or brother after their hot sessions because they knew everything. He felt extremely self conscious at those times, but the only one who mocked them was Changkyun’s mom, not James.

That afternoon - after spending the whole day at the Ministry of Magic -, they headed to Kihyun’s house in an attempt to rest a little. As they Apparated in the living room, they startled Kihyun´s mom. Changkyun apologized for that and then they went straight to the huge bedroom. Everything was carefully organized. Kihyun never let anything fall to the floor and he cleaned the furniture’s surface each day. “What do you say” Kihyun said, pausing to snatch one of his books from the bookshelf. “If we practice Legilimency and Occlumency?” he asked and Changkyun got excited. They had been doing it for months, trying to learn the art of controlling and reading minds on their own. That kind of magic wasn’t taught anywhere. The Ministry of Magic didn’t allow it because it invaded everyone’s privacy, but Kihyun found a book in his father’s office and decided to use it. And they also had to learn how to stop Legilimency so he took an Occlumency book as well. Thankfully, his boyfriend supported his crazy ideas and suggested some of them himself.

The two of them sat on Kihyun’s bed in front of each other and shared a kiss before starting to practice. It was Changkyun’s turn to penetrate Kihyun’s mind and he was getting good at it. The elder let him do as he pleased for a few seconds to then try and block him. They still couldn’t do the Legilimency spell nonverbally, but it was hard so they weren’t in a rush. They went on practicing for an hour, managing to improve. Then they stopped to rest a little and cuddled on the bed. Their limbs were tangled and their faces were only inches apart. The boyfriends didn’t usually do that at Kihyun’s house though they needed it, at least for some minutes. “Hey” Changkyun said after a while of just staring into each other’s eyes. “I remembered something cute” he brushed their noses together.

“What did you remember?” Kihyun asked, pecking his boyfriend’s soft lips.

“I remembered the first time I saw you at Hogwarts and the first time we talked” Changkyun made Kihyun frown with those words. The latter had always thought they talked for the first time when he threw that curse at Changkyun, but maybe he was wrong. “It was the week we started our 1st year” he said though Kihyun couldn’t recall that. “I was lost around the castle and I found you and Hyungwon walking around” what the younger was saying surprised him. It wasn’t familiar to him. “Even if I was a Ravenclaw student you helped me get to Potions class before Professor Slughorn started the lesson” Changkyun smiled. “You were a good boy back then” he joked and Kihyun slapped his chest. “And I was so glad because I wasn’t friends with Belle yet” he said.

“That’s a lie! I cannot remember anything like that” he laughed. “And I was never good to you before our 6th year” he added, pretty sure of it. Kihyun had seen Changkyun in every class before cursing him in their 2nd year but he didn’t talk to him, he was certain. The only thing that called his attention about the boy were his incredible skills when it came to spells. Kihyun thought Changkyun was a pure blood like him before he discovered his mother was a Muggle and hated him even more for that.

“It’s not a lie” his boyfriend insisted. “Get into my mind and see for yourself” Changkyun handed Kihyun his wand and waited for him to do it. The ex Slytherin student hesitated for a few seconds. His love seemed confident and he thought maybe he was right. Changkyun had a great memory, he always remembered everything, that was the reason of Kihyun’s hesitation. But, after meditating if he should do it or not, he did it. He roamed around Changkyun’s memories until he found it, getting incredibly surprised. He could see a lost Changkyun hyperventilating as he walked around Hogwarts, trying to find the right way to the Dungeons. Not long after it, little Changkyun found two Slytherin students walking around and stopped them. His boyfriend was right, they were Hyungwon and him, chatting about how awesome the castle was. The next thing he saw was Changkyun shyly asking for help and himself smiling at the boy. “You can come with us, we have the same class” eleven-year-old Kihyun said, letting the Ravenclaw student follow them around Hogwarts in silence. Before entering the classroom, little Changkyun thanked them and went to sit with the Ravenclaw students.

When Kihyun left Changkyun’s mind, he was confused. He didn’t remember anything and he felt sad about it. That was the first time they truly talked, but Kihyun remembered their first fight instead. “You were right” he managed to whisper after a short silence. “Why do I always remember the bad things?” he asked and pouted, making his boyfriend chuckle. The latter removed his hand from Kihyun’s waist to place it on his cheek and caressed it softly before kissing his lips.

“Don’t be silly” Changkyun smiled at him. “It isn’t a big deal” he assured and joined their lips one more time. “I love you and I also love the way we got to know each other” he said and Kihyun giggled.

“Fighting like dorks” the elder trailed off, repeatedly pecking Changkyun’s lips. “I have to admit it was fun while it lasted” Kihyun laughed.

“Yeah, it was” his boyfriend agreed. “I hated you so much, though” he confessed and Kihyun laughed again.

“Aw, me too” the elder said and they both giggled. Before they could say anything else, they heard footsteps heading to Kihyun’s bedroom and they quickly let go, sitting up on the bed and grabbing their Auror books quickly. The elder hid the Legilimency and Occlumency books under in his wardrobe to then pretend he was reading. When the door snapped open, Hyungwon and the Bloom sisters appeared behind it. “Oh, it’s you” Kihyun rolled his eyes in annoyance.

“Yes, it’s us!” Lucy yelled, excitedly climbing on the bed to hug the two boyfriends. “I know you are excited to see us” she added and Hollie hugged the two of them too. Hyungwon, on the other hand, only greeted Changkyun, sitting by his side and checking his Auror books out.

“Yes, very excited” Kihyun sighed.

“I can see your father isn’t convinced about you spending so much time with a half blood yet” Lucy said. “He told us you were with Changkyun, then he paused and said ‘again’ with that annoyed voice he uses whenever he’s tired of you” she told them and Changkyun chuckled.

“He loves me” the ex Ravenclaw student joked, not affected by it.

“Imagine if he discovered you are actually fucking his son in the ass” Hyungwon - the subtle man - said and Kihyun blushed madly before starting to throw punches at him. The tall one discovered it some months ago because he asked the boyfriends about it and Kihyun became a tomato, even if Changkyun told Hyungwon it was none of his business.

“Shut up, Chae Hyungwon!” Kihyun yelled. “You are always a terrible friend!” he punched the tall one harder each time, making him whine and complain. The other three just stared at the scene and started laughing when Hyungwon stood up in an attempt to stop Kihyun and the latter followed him around the bedroom, throwing kicks at him. “I swear I’ll learn how to do the Killing Curse and I’ll use it on you!” he kept on yelling things until his mother knocked on the door and asked everyone if they were staying for dinner.


End file.
